


The Winter Crown

by totemwolfie



Series: Demons of Ironwood [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha - Freeform, Anal Sex, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Dark fey, Demons, Fairy, Gay Sex, Halfbreed, Kings & Queens, Longing, M/M, Masturbation, Monsters, Mythology - Freeform, Otherkin, Otherworld, Scars, Vampires, alpha demon, bastard prince, demons of ironwood, fey, fey courts, fey princesses, more tags to come, vampire prince, winged demon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:46:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 38,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23055700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totemwolfie/pseuds/totemwolfie
Summary: When The Winter Crown is stolen from the cold, dark fey kingdom in The Frozen Lands, Cinder is hired to retrieve it before the solstice begins.  But things are more complicated than he ever imagined, and he is forced to turn to an enemy to help him.  But will the Shadow demon actually help him, or lead to his death?
Series: Demons of Ironwood [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1117452
Comments: 61
Kudos: 99





	1. The Theft

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third "full-length" story in my original Demons of Ironwood series. It's not necessary to read the other books before this one, but I would recommend it just so you are more familiar with the characters and the world.

Mordichai raised and lowered his wings for perhaps the thirteenth time. His associates were late, and while this wouldn’t normally be a thing he was concerned about, he had a specific place he had to be at a specific time. He had already paid the entry fee for the competition (which, honestly, was bullshit because the Goddess Ariadne did not need money) and had booked a room at the local Inn just so he could be at the Chartres labyrinth gate the moment the contest began.

He looked around the dreary area they had decided to meet at. It was a crossroads, around him stood massive pillars of stone with intricate knots carved into them. The altar at the center was stained from a millennia of blood sacrifices to access the powers of the stones.

Now it wasn’t so complicated, druids had unlocked the magic code decades ago and now a few simple words opened the portal. 

But Mordichai would be bleeding his associates dry if they caused him to be late. He stretched his wings as he walked around, inspecting the stones and the carvings. It was some sort of fey language, which he couldn’t read. He tilted his head, frowning at the inscriptions, when he heard footsteps behind him. With a grunt he turned around.

The two demons approaching him were satrys; their faces were somewhere between a goat a man, both had ram horns and goat-like ears, and long legs with hooves and fur. Normally shirtless they were dressed in dark clothes today, and one carried a satchel and a scroll.

“Finally,” Mordicahi sighed.

Teak rolled his yellow eyes at the large alpha demon. Mordichai was big, even for a Shadow demon. His black, ram-like horns gleamed in the moonlight and his long, white hair shined. “Are you always so impatient?”

His brother, Ruthen, nodded. “He is. Temperamental demon.”

He showed his teeth before gesturing to the crossroads. “Explain to me why I’m here again?”

“To Trace is out,” Teak explained as he unrolled the scroll and started to look it over. 

“You’re sure it’s not warded?” He asked skeptically.

“Not against Shadow demons,” Ruthen supplied.

Mordichai frowned. “Wait. Where are we going? You said it was a Fey realm?”

“We are going… adjacent to the fey realm,” Teak said. “To the Frozen Lands. Specifically the Castle Ironborn.”

Mordichai’s wings tensed. The Frozen Lands shared a border with the Shadow Realm, hence why he could trace them out, as he was from there originally. But he couldn’t trace into places he had never been, and he certainly had never been inside the fucking Castle Ironborn, home of King Aaliern and his many mistresses and children. The king was known for his brutality and secrecy, having sired dozens of heirs but never appointing one, and ruled over his people with an iron fist.

 _I should have asked for more details earlier,_ he realized. But the pay was too good to turn down. “What are we stealing? Is it worth our heads?”

“They won’t be able to track us,” Ruthen said with a laugh. “Fey are horrible hunters, even those as ruthless as the dark fey! And once we trace out, they won’t be able to follow. Shadow demons have a special trace that doesn’t allow anyone to track them.”

Yes, being a Shadow demon he knew this. “So you’re saying that you can’t do this without me?”

Teak frowned at him. “The price was agreed upon, demon. No negotiations.”

He grunted. “Let me ask again: what are we stealing?”

Ruthen’s grin was devilish. “Why, the Winter Crown, of course.”

Mordichai’s brain scrambled. It would be almost solstice in realms of the winter fey, and the Winter King would visit his kingdoms for gifts and to spread magic and share harvest. Each solstice a crown was made and presented to the Winter King, and this year it must be the Frozen Land’s honor.

“Why?” Was all he could ask, because he had never heard of anything so insane. 

Teak shrugged. “We were hired. Does it really matter?”

He guessed not. “How are you planning on getting into the palace?”

Teak tapped the scroll. “I know a guy who knows a guy who got me the coordinates for the treasure room. The crossroads can get us in, but it’s warded against everything except… you.”

If he gave a shit about dark fey/Shadow demon relations he might be more concerned about being involved, but the two factions had been taking shots at each other for centuries. But he had never heard of anything so ridiculous happening before. The fey courts were something he did his best to stay away from, not that he could get close if he tried. What went on in the courts was fey business and fey business only. The Summer Court was made up of fey associated with warmth, summer, and new life, the fey of the Winter Court were the opposite. The two courts had been warring for years, but for the last hundred they had been in a stalemate. It was the closest to peace the two Courts had ever seen.

“Let’s get this over with,” he finally said. “I have to be at Chartres sooner rather than later.”

As Teak began the chant, Ruthen turned to the much larger demon. “You’re entering that challenge? Seriously?”

Mordichai frowned. “You know what the prize is, right?”

“It’s been nice working with you,” the satyr said with a laugh. “In your will can you leave me your share of today’s payment?”

Mordichai growled at the smaller male, but their attention was soon captured by a cold, shimmering light. Mordichai folded his wings and watched as the runes on the tall stones glowed brighter and brighter, until the air above the altar crackled and split open like a rip in space. Wind howled and the air grew colder and colder.

Ruthen grabbed his bag and motioned for Mordichai to follow him. Teak tucked through scroll into his robes and together the three stepped through the portal.

…

The treasure room was perhaps an understatement, it was more like an entire wing of the palace. The sound from the portal echoed and the trio stiffened, listening for the sound of guards.

Silence followed.

Ruthen exhaled. “Okay…” he looked around, dark eyes widening. Around them were piles of treasure, armor, trunks and chests; archways into dimly lit rooms filled with even more. The ceiling was high and arched, and like the walls, carved obsidian and black crystal. Chandeliers with enchanted candles burned above them, their light reflected in every mirror and coin.

“Just the crown,” Teak hissed under his breath, which echoed anyway. 

“Explain why again?” Ruthen asked as he reached for a silver fleece that was draped over a full set of armor.

Teak slapped his hand. “Because that isn’t what we were hired to do! Just this one job. Now come on.” 

He opened another scroll, and Mordichai saw it was a layout of the treasure room. He frowned. Whoever had hired them had in-depth knowledge of the fey world, particularly this castle and kingdom. 

Teak lead them through maze, and indeed it was. Doorways lead in circles, mirrors were positioned to create the illusion that a room was larger than it was, and more than once Mordichai flared his wings at strategically placed armor displays that looked like guards.

Funny that there were no actual guards, and when he mentioned as much, Teak commented, “King Aaliern is so paranoid that only he knows the enchantment to open the doors.”

Whoever hired them knew this. They must have been from The Frozen Lands, maybe they were even a dark fey from Aaliern’s own kingdom. The fey king has many mistresses, maybe one had had enough and wanted to humiliate the king on the greatest night of the winter fey's year.

The last chamber they stepped into was empty, save for a display in the center with a single item on top.

The Winter Crown.

It was considered one of the greatest privileges to be chosen to create the crown for Winter King to wear during the solstice celebrations, which lasted an entire month. The crown had to be perfect, it had to capture the spirit of the dark fey, the cold of their lands, and the hope for a healthy harvests and lots of new babies.

Mordichai cocked his head. The crown was a circlet, molded from silver, with thorns tipped with teardrop shaped diamonds. Silver antlers rose from the sides, elegant and sharp, adored with gold leaves. It was all very beautiful, but cold. 

“It’s not that spectacular,” Ruthen humphed.

Oh, how wrong he was. It was a work of art. The antlers on either side were rising up from diamond-tipped thorns, like spring rising from the unforgiving winter. The gold leaves signified new growth and life, without going too ham with blossoms, because that was absolutely not the dark fey way. There was no real spring here, not in the cold lands. 

Ruthen fidgeted. “Do we just grab it? What if it’s booby-trapped?”

“Then you better get a closer look,” Teak snapped.

The satyr stomped his hoof nervously before he circled the pedestal. “It looks… safe.”

Mordichai frowned as he looked around. King Aaliern was paranoid and possessive, there was no way this wasn’t somehow booby-trapped. He shifted his wings and opened his mouth to speak when Ruthen grabbed the crown.

“Wait!” he and Teak yelled at the same time, but it was too late. Above them the ceiling shook, revealing hidden tiles that slid open and dropped massive, sharpened spears. Mordichai raised his wings to shield himself while he grabbed Teak’s wrist, and Teak lunged for Ruthen--

He traced the second one of the spears hit his wing and the ground dropped from beneath them. He heard screaming just before being swallowed in darkness. A second later they were back in the agreed upon location, the satyr’s cabin in an old forest under the shadow of Mount Olympus. Mordichai flapped his ripped wing, stumbling back as the screaming continued.

The Shadow demon turned around and saw, sprawled on the ground, Ruthen with a spear lodged in his chest. Blood was everywhere and the satyr was shaking in pain. Teak was bleeding from a wound on his shoulder but was otherwise uninjured. He stomped over to the other satyr while shouting, “Tell me you fucking have it, Ruthen!”

The wounded satyr spat blood at him. “Of course I do!” he yelled as he thrust the crown at him. “Now help me!”

Mordichai stepped over to assist. They set the crown aside and pulled the spear free from the satyr. He let Teak take care of the other while he looked at the crown closely. There was blood on it from the satyr’s grip, he had grabbed the thorns and they had cut into his hand, but nothing appeared to be damaged, and none of the diamonds or gold leaves were missing.

He turned as hooves clopped across stone and Teak was approaching him. “How is he?’

“Alive,” the satyr grunted.

Things could have gone a lot worse, and if Mordichai hadn’t been there, the two would absolutely be dead. He checked the time and growled. “I need to go. Give me my part of the pay, I did more than my part.”

The satyr nodded and tossed him a leather pouch. Mordichai checked the contents before he nodded in satisfaction. He took one look at the crown, and then traced away, his destination his room at the Inn near the labyrinth.

He really hoped it was worth the trouble, because there was no doubt there would be repercussions. But he did his part and was done with it. Come morning he would be at the gate of Chartrest, listening as the Goddess Ariadne explained the contest rules, and most likely showed off the Wand of Asciepius. 

His room was dark and quiet, but outside all he could hear was loud music, cheering, and yelling. All these immortals fully believed they would find the center of the labyrinth and claim the prize, but fact was, most of them were all fodder and would be dead before midday tomorrow, and their souls would be absorbed by the goddess. Mordichai knew that going into the labyrinth was dangerous, Rax had asked him again and again over the last week if he knew what he was doing, but Mordichai did. That Wand was the rarest of the rare, it had the power to grant wishes, it was pure magic, almost as powerful as the horn of a unicorn. If he could get it, he would want for nothing ever again.

After taking the time to clean up the wound on his wing and shoulder, and applying a healing salve so it would be mended by the morning, he grabbed the pouch of gold and headed out the door and down to the bar. It was time to celebrate his last night in his realm before his life absolutely changed. 

...

Cinder woke to a loud screeching sound. He jolted upright, blankets and pillows flying, as he blinked the sleep from his eyes rapidly. He looked around for the loud, high-pitched sound, when he saw the scrying mirror on the wall. The glass was shaking and the frame rattling against the wall. Cinder hissed and snarled, stumbling from the bed and stalking across the room to the mirror.

“What?!” he snarled, and the mirror stopped it’s horrible screeching and shimmered to reveal a handsome face.

“Hello, bastard.”

Cinder showed his teeth. “What’s with the emergency call, Bram?” he asked as he rubbed his head. “It’s daylight, I need to sleep.”

“Yes, leech, I know the time in Ironwood,” Bram said indifferently, “but you’re being summoned home.”

“Sure, sure I’ll be there tonight--”

“Father wants you home immediately,” Bram snapped. 

Cinder frowned at his brother’s face. Bram looked just like King Aaliern, but without the silver beard. His skin was the color of slate, his hair dark and pulled into a high ponytail. His eyes were narrow and dark, his ears long and slightly purple at the edges. Behind him twitched a pair of black, glimmery wings, and upon his head was a silver circlet. Prince Bram, seventh son of King Aaliern and the former Queen Radiant. He was the pride and joy of the kingdom; handsome and strong, a warrior who never lost a battle, and a huge womanizer.

“Why? What happened?” Cinder asked as he walked away from the mirror and started to pull clothes from his dresser. 

“You’ll see when you get here, leech. Hurry the fuck up.”

The mirror shimmered and went still, the call ended. Cinder yawned before he started to dress. The last place he wanted to go to today was The Frozen Lands and Castle Ironborn. He hated everything about that godforsaken realm, from the royal family to the commoners in the surrounding towns who had all made his life growing up a living hell. The only bright spot he ever had was when he met a young summer fey by accident when visiting another realm on a diplomatic tour, with Cinder disguised as a servant’s son. But because the fey was summer, he wasn’t allowed into The Frozen Lands, so whenever he and Jake wanted to see each other, they had to rendezvous in neutral realms.

Of course, Jake had no idea who Cinder actually was. He had never told his friend, or any friend, that he was part of the royal family. That he was one of King Aaliern’s many bastards, that he was an extremely rare mixture of vampire and dark fey.

Knowing where he was going, and what was expected of him, Cinder pulled out clothing he never wore. Long, black trousers that were pressed and without a wrinkle or rip; a long dark colored tunic that buckled across his chest and was pulled in at the waist by a studded leather belt. He rolled up the sleeves to the elbow and slipped on a pair of silver gauntlets, bejeweled and carved with the knots of his father’s kingdom. He braided his long hair, black with soft blonde roots, into a intricate pattern that fell over his shoulder; he had no crown to wear. He pulled a long dark cloak, shiny boots that he hated, and traced home.

Home. What a lie.

Castle Ironborn was a prison. He appeared in the foyer, and was shocked to find it lined with guards. At first he thought it was because of him, that his father was finally going to live up to his threat to burn him alive, but when he saw beyond the archway the chaos, he realized something catastrophic must have happened.

His first thought went to his younger sisters, Melancholia and Cierce. The twin girls were from the King’s second wife, a dark fey heiress who had died on the battlefield not long after birthing her twins. While technically no longer young girls, Cinder always saw them as his younger sisters.

His fears were alleviated when Melancholia greeted him. Unlike Bram, her skin was more purple than slate, and her eyes a fierce black. She wore golden armor and carried a sword at her side. Her expression was tense and angry, but when she saw Cinder she lit up.

“Cin!” She said happily.

Cinder nodded to her appearance. “Did I miss something, Mel? Are we at war?”

“War would be easier,” Mel sighed heavily. “Come with me, and I’ll explain.”

He fell in line with her, and nothing was said for several minutes as they made their way through the castle. Fey law prohibited any kind of “human technology” which meant the entire kingdom was without electricity and proper running water. He had left his cell phone at home because if he was caught with it, he would be flogged. Because of all this the castle was really like an obsidian mine: dark and cold and drafty. For a vampire halfbreed like Cinder, The Frozen Lands seemed just the place for him, always dark, but he actually hated the starless sky and the cold. He hated everything about it.

“So?” He pressed as they approached the wing of the castle that their father used to hoard his treasure.

“A group broke into the treasure vault and stole The Winter Crown.”

Cinder broke his stride. “What?” He yelped. Certainly he had not heard correctly. The treasure vault was impregnatable, no one had ever broken in, not even himself. Not only was it impossible to trace into, only the king knew the magic spell to open the doors. The chamber was enchanted by a series of spells that stopped anyone from going through any walls, floor, or ceiling. It was also carved into the mountainside, making it more secure than the rest of the castle!

“You heard me,” Mel said with a frown. “Father is furious.”

“Is that an understatement?” It was close to the solstice, and The Frozen Lands had been chosen to present a custom, one-of-a-kind crown to the Winter King to wear on his tour of the kingdoms. It was the greatest honor. “How did they get in?”

“They teleported in, probably using a crossroads,” she said as they now approached the open doors. The King’s mages were running around with candles, scrolls, and books as they attempted to capture any traces of magic to follow the spell trail back to where it came from. “So far they can’t find any magic residue.”

He followed her inside and through the maze. It wasn’t long before he heard his father’s voice. It was even and steady, but the threat that hung in the air was clear. His father was furious and heads would be rolling.

“But why summon me?” He asked quietly.

Mel paused, but it was Aaliern who answered him. “Because I need someone with a nose for blood, and you’re the best I have without asking outside the kingdom.” Because that would be absolutely ludicrous, and would reveal what had happened inside the castle. No one outside these walls could ever know what happened, not until the crown was found and the thieves dealt with.

Cinder shuddered, but didn’t misstep. He walked into the chamber and before his father. King Aaliern was tall and handsome, with deep slate skin and a silver beard and long silver hair. His eyes were a light, sea green, same as Cinder’s, and his wings were more majestic than any monarch.

Cinder looked around. The chamber was partially collapsed, and chunks of the floor were open to reveal spiked pit traps. Above them the ceiling had opened and dropped what he was assuming spears, because they were jutting up out of the floor everywhere.

He smelled the blood before he saw it. Whoever had been here had been struck badly. He frowned. “And what am I supposed to do here?”

His father’s hand struck him hard enough that he landed on one knee. The right side of his face was numb and his eye stung.

“I may be your father, but I’m still your king,” Aaliern said as he stood over the young halfbreed. “I expect you to address me as such.”

“I’m sorry—my king,” Cinder growled out between clenched fangs. “How may I be of service?”

Aaliern turned away from him. “Don’t push it, Cinder,” he warned. “Now come here.”

Mel helped Cinder stand, giving him a soft expression, before they walked around jutting spears and gaping pits. They walked to an empty pedestal, and around it was splattered blood.

“Find who did this,” Aaliern ordered as he looked back at Cinder. 

Cinder flinched. “How am I supposed to do that, father?”

“The only good thing about you is your ability to track,” the King said. “So track! Prove to me that keeping you alive was worth it. Bring me the crown before His Majesty arrives and I will make a place at my side for you.”

It was quite the lie. Cinder knew that his father would _never_ acknowledge him in court, and not in front of His Majesty. But it wasn’t the promise that had Cinder’s attention, it was the threat lying so obvious beneath it.

“When is the solstice?” He asked.

“Two weeks.”

If it was possible for Cinder to grow more pale, he would have. He looked around at the splatters of blood and a strip of torn clothing. There was absolutely no way he could do this in only two weeks. He had no where to start! He wasn't a bloodhound, and he was a fair tracker but that didn’t mean he could follow a scent across hells! He looked at Mel, who looked at him with such sadness that he might as well throw himself immediately into the sun.

“Father…”

“Cinder,” the King said, voice smooth and threatening, “you have two weeks. Or you’ll join your mother in the tower.”

Cold spread through him like many spidery fingers. The king walked past him, and Mel had no choice but to turn and follow.

Cinder has no doubt that his father had at least a dozen others working this case, from mages to his own personal guard, but this was his opportunity to finally rid himself of a mistake.

Cinder closed his eyes and ground his fangs. He was thinking of throwing himself into one of the pits when he walked by a small smear of blood and caught a familiar scent.

Oh, he knew that scent.

Leave it to that fucking Shadow demon to sign his death warrant personally. They had been at each other’s throats for nearly a dozen years, but had never crossed the line.

Well, maybe it was time to leap across it.

He traced away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was determined to have a couple of chapters of this done before I started to share it, just so that I knew where this plot was going to go. I think I'm happy with it, and so here is the first chapter! I've been wanting to write about this two ever since I introduced them in "Blood and Shadows." I hope you enjoy as much as I am! Thanks always for reading! xoxo


	2. The Disappointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting earlier than I thought, but I took a couple days off work (I work in healthcare so you can imagine how fun my job is right now) so I thought... well, why not post early? Thank you for reading! Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy!

Mordichai may have overdone it quite a bit, but everyone was living it up like it was their last day on this plain, and in a lot of ways, it absolutely was. Mordichai had no doubt that he would be successful, but the time it took to get there was unpredictable. He could be in that labyrinth for centuries, when he came out of it successful people might not even remember his name! But they would after he arrived victorious!

In hindsight, it was a pretty big pipe dream, but Mordichai didn’t care. All his life he has struggled. Struggled to make a name for himself, struggled out of the sewer of his childhood, struggled to be free and secure. Well, after he won this contest, he would have everything he ever wanted, and more! No one will ever dare look down on him again, and he would be the ruler of his own lands, his own house. He would have concubines of every species, certainly no one would reject him.

His dreams were as extravagant and ridiculous as his daydreams, and he woke sweating and aching. Only, the ache was because the bed in the Inn was not made for demons with wings, so he was scrunched up and uncomfortable, and he was also hungover as fuck.

How many dragon’s blood whiskey shots had he had? He couldn’t remember, but it had been one too many for sure!

Groaning, Mordichai sat up, pressing his hand to his forehead. He had left the window open and he could hear people talking excitedly, he could also smell coffee and ale, along with bacon, sausages, sweet bread and oatmeal. He was wondering if he had time for breakfast before he got a place in line, when he smelled it:

Old, stale blood, mixed with a hint of the night wind and jasmine.

He opened his wings but it was too late. A hooded figure landed on his chest and a knife sliced through his neck.

…

Back in his apartment, Cinder quickly stripped out of his royal attire and changed into something more his style. It was mid-afternoon in Ironwood now, he could feel the force of the sun bearing down on his heavy, double-layer blackout curtains, and he felt pressure on his body to go back to sleep. Unlike full-blooded vampires, Cinder wasn’t compelled to fall into a coma during the day, but he did feel the pull to sleep, and it made him much more irritable when he didn’t get to.

He pulled on skin tight black jeans, a t-shirt with a hooded leather jacket over the top, black military-style boots and started to arm himself with knives. 

Cinder knew that Mordichai was involved. He thought for a moment that the demon did this just to strike out at him, but Mordichai had no idea who Cinder really was. No one knew outside his family and the kingdom, where secrets were guarded under threats worse than a beheading.

But how to find the ram-horned, winged bastard? He warmed up a mug of blood in the microwave as he scrambled his brain for ideas. The most obvious solution was to text Jake or Rax. Rax, he had no qualms in using, he cared nothing for the demon, only respected him because he was mates with his friend. But Jake, he couldn’t do that. If Jake knew that he would lead to Mordichai losing his head he would never forgive him or himself. And Jake had been through so much pain already.

As he sipped the blood, which wasn’t nearly as good as it was fresh from a living body, he thought back to the day at the bar, when he had seen Jake for the first time in years. It had been a fun night, talking and drinking way too much overpriced nectar, and ended in Rax rebuffing them both for a threesome.

He was still a little salty about that, but he had to give the Rage demon credit for saying no.

Cinder stopped abruptly as a conversation from that night came back to him.

What the fuck had it been about?

A maze? A contest…

He ran his hand through his hair as he paced. What contest was going on at a maze?

No! Not a maze! A labyrinth!

THE labyrinth.

He had a flyer for the contest somewhere, and ripped through his desk until he was pulling the human flesh parchment out of a drawer. He held it up in front of him, reading over the contest rules and requirements.

It hadn’t started yet—he had time.

He grabbed his favorite long knife and traced.

…

Blood filled Mordichai’s mouth and he choked on it. His big body thrashed but the person straddling him was surprisingly strong in spite of their size, and when he tried to claw at them, the blade sunk deeper into his neck. His snarl came out as a gurgle.

“If you want to keep your head,” spoke a soft voice from under a hood, “you’ll stop fucking moving.”

Mordichai froze. He knew that voice very well, and he bared his large fangs in a snarl. He grabbed the halfbreed by the shoulders, intent on flinging him off, when the knife slid in more. It wasn’t quite halfway through his neck, but the blade was unbelievably sharp and with one hard pull he’d certainly lose his head.

“I said stop moving!” The voice snarled. Blood was everywhere; the bed sheets and mattress were effectively ruined and his hands were coated. “I will kill you.” The knife slid in deeper and more blood spurted from his neck.

Mordichai’s vision blinked in and out of darkness. He felt cold. His voice came out choking, spraying more blood. His hands lost their grip and he slumped back, eyes closed and mouth slack.

…

When he woke again he was in a dungeon. His neck was healing, but slowly due to blood loss, and his head was pounding. Mordichai’s arms were bound above his head with chains and he didn’t have to look at them to know they were enchanted against tracing. His wings were painfully secured against his back with more chains, and there were shackles on his ankles that secured his feet to the ground.

He was hanging from the ceiling, his feet just touching. His arms were cold and his wrists chaffed and aching.

Mordichai snarled and the sound echoed around him. But when he tried to speak he found that his voice came out as a harsh whisper.

“Where am I?” He hissed.

Soft footsteps approached from an open doorway. When Cinder strolled in, arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his too-gorgeous face, the Shadow demon growled.

“Look who’s finally awake,” Cinder said as he stepped up to the suspended demon. “Sleep off that hangover?”

“What the fuck—“ Mordichai rasped. “How long have I been out?”

“Hmm, five hours?” Cinder guesses as he grinned, watching the demon’s expression change from shock, to disappointment, to fury. “Long enough that you missed entering the contest. But don’t worry, demon, if you have such a strong death wish I’ll deliver it to you after you’ve answered all my questions.”

Mordichai roared and struggled. He tasted blood but he didn’t care. He missed his chance! There was no way inside now! He pulled and lurched against the chains, he tried to open his wings, but all he managed to do was tire himself out.

Cinder watched an with amused smirk as the demon slumped forward, breathing loudly and bleeding from his mouth.

“Are you done?”

“I’ll kill you for this,” Mordichai gasped. “Friend of my friend or not, you’re fucking dead you bloodsucking leech!”

Cinder did not look impressed or intimidated. He only smiled. “Seeing how you’re at my mercy, maybe you should reconsider your words.” He pulled a knife from his boot. The blade was a gleaming silver, reflecting what little light was in the dungeon. Cinder twirled it easily. “So, let’s have a chat.”

Mordichai’s chest vibrated with another growl. He watched as the halfbreed stepped closer, and the scent of blood and jasmine filled his nose. He curled his lip to reveal his fangs and attempted to lean away. This was incredibly aggressive, even for the halfbreed. “Fuck off.”

Cinder ignored him. “You took something, and I’ve been hired to retrieve it,” he said as he casually ran the blade over the demon’s tunic, cutting it open. It was heavy with dried blood and smelled awful, so he tossed it to the other side of the cell after removing it. Then it touched the tip to the demon’s chest, and watched as blood started to bead around the soft touch. “Tell me where it is, and I’ll release you. Or kill you. Whichever I feel like.”

The Shadow demon frowned. Blood was trailing down his chest in one thin line. “I’ve taken a lot of things, leech,” he rasped, “you’ll need to be more specific.”

Cinder looked up, his sea-green eyes gleaming and furious. “Don’t fuck with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You, and a couple of satyrs, took The Winter Crown. Tell me where it is.”

Mordichai cracked a smile. “The fuck if I know.”

Cinder pressed the blade in harder, the tip sinking into the demon’s chest. “Tell me.”

“I don’t fucking know,” Mordichai said. “Sorry, halfbreed, but it looks like you lost this one.”

Cinder struggled to keep his emotions in check. He ignored the blood that was running over the blade and onto his hand. “This isn’t some competition. I need to find that crown. Who were your partners?”

“I’m sure they don’t have it anymore,” Mordichai said as he tensed. The blade felt cold against his flesh but once it was cutting into him, it burned. He hissed. “I can’t help you. So you’ll just have to kill me.”

Cinder pulled the knife out, spraying the floor with blood. The Shadow demon was a good deal taller than himself, even in heeled boots and standing on his tiptoes. He didn’t dare get close to the demon’s mouth full of sharp teeth, so he looked down instead. He pressed the blade against the demon’s groin. “Your species doesn’t regenerate, do they?”

Mordichai frowned. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting what I want,” he said as he started to unzip the demon’s pants. “If I have to start by carving off each of your balls, then your dick, I will. You’re going to tell me where those satyrs are, and you’re going to tell me where the Winter Crown is so I can do my job, or I’ll be roasting your genitals over the fire and feeding them to the ghouls outside.”

“You’re--insane--” Mordichai flinched and tried to move his hips back, but he was too tired and too well bound. Cinder’s cool fingers hooked onto the waistband of his pants and started to pull them down. “Stop!”

Cinder looked up, cool eyes glimmering. “Where are they?”

Mordichai hated himself, but while he was fine with death, he wasn’t ready to have parts of him carved away, especially parts that he liked so well. He huffed. “I can trace you there.”

The halfbreed smirked triumphantly, but he waved the knife in the demon’s face. “Like I’m stupid enough to release you from these bonds. As weak as you appear to be, I know you’ll be on me before I can even blink. No, you’ll tell me where they are, and I’ll go on my own.”

“I can’t tell you,” Mordichai argued. “I don’t know where they are.”

“Do you know, or don’t you?”

“I can _take_ you, but I can’t _tell_ you, do you understand?” he asked between gnashing teeth.

“I’m not letting you out of this cell.”

“Then you better call your employer and tell them to hire someone better.”

Cinder was two seconds away from plunging the knife into the demon’s face, but he stepped back and took a deep breath. He couldn’t trust the Shadow demon, he knew this, he had always known it, but he wasn’t going anywhere without the demon’s help. He looked back at him and said, “You’ll take me there.”

“Fine.”

Cinder walked up and held the knife once again against the demon’s groin. “You fuck me over, and I’ll cut this whole thing off, you hear me?”

“I heard you the first godsdamn time,” Mordichai growled.

Knowing if he let the demon lose that the would either attack or trace away immediately, Cinder had to come up with a way to keep the demon secured. He settled on clamping a heavy collar around his neck and fastening a chain to it. Keeping a firm grip, he then spoke softly under his breath, and the rest of the chains all fell away and the demon hit the floor with a pained grunt.

Cinder tugged on the leash. “Get up, let’s go.”

Mordichai’s large wings slowly unfolded and he looked up at the smaller halfbreed. “How about I kill you?”

“Try it,” Cinder taunted as he held the chain tight.

Mordichai’s eyes narrowed. He touched the collar and felt that someone had carved a series of runes into it. Was it enchanted? If he attacked it would punish him? It very could well be a bluff, but he wasn’t willing to test it, not right now.

He was too tired at this point for more punishment, so instead he straightened up and folded his wings back. “I will take you there, and you let me go,” he said.

“I’m not agreeing to anything,” Cinder said, “and you aren’t in the position to bargain with me.” He jerked on the leash and immediately the demon was brought to his knees. Cinder stood over him, teeth bared. “Take me there now.”

Mordichai could feel power pulsing through the collar and the chain, and imagined the satisfaction when he got the chance to wrap the chain around the halfbreed’s neck and strangle him. The magic connected them, otherwise he would have traced away without him, but there was no getting out of this, not yet. So he did as asked, and traced.

…

Smoke and heat blasted them the second they arrived. Cinder swore in surprise and leaped back, pulling on the leash and jerking Mordichai back with him. He waved his free hand in front of his face while the demon beat his wings to clear the smoke.

“The hell?” Cinder gaped as he stared at the chaos in front of him. “Where the hell did you take me?!”

Mordichai’s eyes widened as he looked around. This was absolutely the satyr’s hideout, but it wasn’t hidden anymore. It was burned to the ground, not just the house, but the trees around them, and the ground was completely scorched and hot enough that it was melting his boots. He flapped his wings again to clear the air before stepping forward and looking around.

He could smell charred flesh and fur, and he continued to walk through the wreckage, with the halfbreed just behind him, until he found the burned remains of the two satyrs. They were tied together, back-to-back, and had had their throats slashed before being burned alive. Not everything in the Otherworld needed to lose their head to die, mortal creatures like satyrs died as easily as humans did.

Cinder hissed as the fire continued to burn around them. “Are these your partners?”

“What’s left of them,” Mordichai said as he looked around. “Looks like you’re fucked.”

“No,” Cinder hissed as he turned around. “The crown could still be here--”

Blood filled his mouth and his words ended in a yelp. His knees buckled and he landed hard on the ground as he gagged on a mouthful of blood. The chain was jerked from his hands and he turned around as the demon spread his wings and loomed over him, sword in hand. 

_He must have picked it up when I wasn’t fucking looking,_ Cinder realized. He hissed and scooted back, watching as the demon pulled off the collar and broke off the chain. He turned his attention back to him and grinned.

Cinder traced, but the demon was shockingly fast for the state he was in, and lunged and grabbed him. They appeared in his bedroom in his apartment in Ironwood, Cinder kicking the demon away from him as they hit the floor. Mordichai’s wings opened and flapped in surprise, and hit the nearest window, ripping down the curtains. Sunlight flooded in and hit Cinder, who cried out and scuttled back like a crab until he was hiding underneath the bed. 

For a second it was quiet except for their heavy breathing. Cinder checked himself for burns, but he hadn’t been exposed to the sun long enough, however the wound in his chest was still bleeding. He pressed his hand over it and let his head fall back as he tried to stop shaking.

Heavy footsteps circled the bed and he swore. He tried to trace away, but he had used too much of his energy already. He needed fresh blood and sleep, and he had had neither for the amount of energy he had used already today. He watched as the demon circled the bed again.

Then a large hand reached under, grabbed him by his hair, and pulled him out.

“I’ve never seen a vampire burn to death,” Mordichai said as he held the halfbreed up by his throat and turned toward the sun. The vampire kicked and struggled, but the demon could see how pale and depleted he was. His skin was nearly translucent and the blue veins bulging around his eyes and on his neck. The closer he got to the sunlight, the more the vampire’s skin paled and his eyes grew wide. “I heard it’s beautiful.”

“Fuck you--” Cinder snarled.

Mordichai smirked. “You had your chance to kill me, leech, and you missed out. Now I’ll kill--”

Cinder kicked out desperately, hitting the demon between the legs. He was dropped immediately as Mordichai’s knees hit the floor. Again he was dropped in the sunlight, and he dashed out of it and ran through closest door, which put him in the bathroom. He turned the lock, as foolish as it was, and collapsed in the bathtub.

This was not working out for him at all. 

He looked at his forearm, which was hot the touch and the flesh appearing curdled and charred. Cinder whined and licked the burn, trying to cool it and stop it from bubbling and blistering even more. “Shit,” he whimpered. He could hear the demon outside swearing and snarling, and knew it wouldn’t be long before he stormed in and killed him.

Cinder sighed. _I can burn now, or I can burn later…_ He closed his eyes and saw the prison tower in his mind. He saw the open courtyard with tall walls, and the inescapable chains. He could smell burning flesh, he could hear her screams. It wasn’t beautiful, it wasn’t like fireworks or a bursting star, it was horrible and painful and he’d seen it. He'd stood and watched as she--

He swallowed hard as he heard footsteps. Maybe he had a chance yet. What did Mordichai want more than anything else in the world? The demon was big, stupid and shallow. He was going to enter that stupid contest in Chartres just for a chance magic and riches.

Could it be that easy? He turned his attention to the door as it splintered and the demon loomed in the doorway.

“If you don’t kill me,” Cinder said as the demon approached, his red eyes glowing with hellfire, “I can give you the riches you’ve always wanted.”

Mordichai frowned down at the injured vampire. “You’re a bad liar.”

“King Aaliern hired me to find the crown,” he said from where he lay, making sure he looked as weak and submissive as possible. Mordichai might be stupid, but he was an alpha demon, and while Cinder wasn’t an omega, acting weak and submissive would absolutely appease the demon’s deeper instincts. “What do you think he’ll give for it’s safe return before the Solstice? You were in that treasure room. I’m sure you saw it all.”

Mordichai straightened up. “If you’re lying to me, nothing will stop me from killing you.” He could see the blisters on the vampire’s arm, and could smell the damaged flesh. He looked smaller here, curled up in the bathtub, surrounded by shadows and his own splattered blood. He frowned and took a deep breath: blood and jasmine.

“Trust me, demon, I wouldn’t lie to you,” Cinder said as he tiredly rested his head back, which also exposed his throat. “I want those riches as much as you. But I’ll give you most of my share if you help me.”

“Most of it?” Mordichai scoffed, “how about all of it? In exchange for your pathetic life.”

“Absolutely not.”

He reached for the vampire. “Then into the sunlight we go.”

“Fine!” he yelped. “Fucking, fine! You can have it all. Just stop right there.”

The Shadow demon smiled triumphantly and folded his wings back. “So what do you have planned?”

“Everything I was counting on lies with you and those burned satyrs,” he explained as he sat up and sighed. “You need to tell me everything.”

“I don’t know much else,” he confessed.

Cinder stared at him. “So you didn’t inquire why such a massive disrespect was being done to the king before you accepted the job? You just didn’t ask? Gods, you are stupid.”

“Careful, leech,” Mordichai warned. “Sometimes it’s better not to know.”

Cinder could understand that, but it didn’t make this any better. “Leave.”

“What?”

“I need to sleep and feed,” he explained as he stood, trying his damnedest to not shake. “Come back at nightfall and we’ll go from there.”

“How do I know you aren’t going to trace away and ditch me?” 

“How do I know you won’t do the same?” He countered.

Mordichai folded his massive arms over his chest. “I’ll stay here, make sure you don’t fuck me over.”

Cinder scowled. “No. Absolutely not.” He needed to rest, and he couldn’t do it with the demon hovering over him. “Get out!”

“No.”

Cinder struggled to stand without shaking, and was pleased that he managed. He couldn’t look weak. Submissive, sure, but not weak. He glowered. “Get out of my house.”

The Shadow demon stomped away, and Cinder thought he had won, but instead he heard the sound of rustling cloth and a couple thumps. Curious, he looked out and saw that the demon had hung the curtains back up and picked up a chair. 

Which he dragged to the corner of the room and sat down.

“You’re not going to watch me sleep,” Cinder snapped.

Mordichai shrugged. “Then continue to wither away. It’ll make my life easier if you would just die anyway.”

They stood that way for several minutes until the need inside Cinder won out over caution. He walked over to the bed and dropped down, burrowing under the covers.

Maybe dying in his sleep wouldn’t be so bad. Isn’t that what mortals wished for? A peaceful, quiet death, without a thought or care?

Mordichai felt the precise moment the halfbreed was asleep. He waited a few seconds before standing and walking over to the bed. The vampire had had pulled the blankets up and all he could see was a few stands of his hair.

The demon frowned and turned away. He looked around the bedroom before leaving it. The rest of the apartment was dark, with the same heavy curtains covering the windows. There was very little in the refrigerator other than blood, and the cabinets were empty. 

The decor was surprisingly modern, everything was clean and well-worn. There were photos on the wall, one particularly caught his attention.

It was Cinder and Jake, hugging and laughing.

Mordichai ran a hand over one horn. Why did things have to be so complicated? Knowing the vampire would sleep until nightfall he decided to trace home to clean his wounds, eat, and dress. It was going to be a long night, and he needed to be prepared as well.

He also had a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't guessed it by now, these two are nothing like my previous couples.


	3. The Escape

The vampire had really done a number on him. He hadn't realized it at the time, but standing naked in front of a large mirror he saw every wound that had been inflicted. And he had certainly come close to losing his head.

The hostility was shocking, even for Cinder. The halfbreed had hampered his jobs before, but the worst thing he had ever done was drug him and leave him to die, and even that situation hadn’t been very dire. But the way he was acting was wrong; it was too desperate. Cinder was never desperate, he had always been nonchalant and an easy-going little shit.

Something else was going on. 

Not to mention he had given in way too fast during their negotiations. Cinder didn’t give a fuck about treasure. His apartment wasn’t filled with priceless artifacts or collections of jewelry and gold. He clearly lived for the moment, for his friends, for experiencing life. Even the jobs he took reflected that, he wanted the adventure and the thrill, but he quite obviously did not want to die.

After stitching up the more serious wounds and bandaging his neck, Mordichai cleaned up and fixed his braids. Then he dressed, pulling on leather and a tunic that had most of the back removed for his massive wings. He strapped on his sword belt and many knives, and traced back.

Cinder was still asleep, but he had rolled around and now the blankets were only wrapped around his hips. 

The sheets were bloody from the vampire’s wounds, and his face was hauntingly pale.

But also beautiful, infuriatingly so. He had high cheekbones and a fine nose, pouty lips and long, dark hair that was naturally blonde at the roots. But he was part vampire, it was in their genetic code to be beautiful.

He still had no idea what the halfbreed was crossed with. His ears were pointed but so were everyone else’s, and they weren’t absurdly long like a sidhe or webbed like a siren’s. His scent gave nothing away, it was mixed with the scent of blood and death as that vampires brought, but there was also something soft and gentle, like jasmine. 

Mordichai looked around the bedroom. There was a scrying mirror on the wall, and a pile of clothes in one corner. He frowned, approaching it. Lying on top was a heavy, very rich velvet cloak. He reached for it.

“Stop.”

Mordichai straightened up. Cinder was sitting up, his sea-green eyes on him. He stepped away. “You’re a slob.”

Cinder wrinkled his nose in annoyance. “I am not.” His eyes drifted over the demon, who had been clearly busy since he had been asleep. He looked down and seemed to realize he was covered in dried blood and dirt, as were his sheets.

He stood and ignored the demon as he went to the bathroom to shower. The sword wound from the demon had gone straight through him and hadn’t healed completely yet. He was also famished.

Cinder pulled on his robe before walking back out. The demon was sitting on his couch, looking through a book.

No, not just a book, one of his picture books! Cinder hissed and reached for it. “Give me that!”

Mordichai traced out of reach, book in hand. It was filled with photographs from the halfbreed’s life, all friends and landscapes, but no family that he could tell. There were sidhe, nymphs, demons and fey, furies and Valkyrie and creatures in between.

“Just analyzing your weaknesses,” he taunted. “Let’s see, who do you love the most?”

Cinder leaped across the room, taking the demon by surprise, and snatched the book away with a hiss. “You know who that is,” he pointed out, “and I’d love to see Rax behead you.”

 _Well shit, of course it’s Jake._ “He wouldn’t.”

“He absolutely would,” Cinder said as he pushed his wet hair back over his shoulder.

Yeah, he absolutely would. Blood demons were insanely protective of their mates. But Mordichai had heard what the fey had done to the witch that had wronged him, so it was safe to say that he wasn’t a helpless damsel either. With his full power back the summer fey was a force of nature, his green magic nearly unstoppable.

“Are you ready? I want to get this over with so I can collect my reward,” he barked.

Cinder rolled his eyes as he turned away and walked into the kitchen. He would much rather find a willing chalice, but there wasn’t time. 

_I should have tapped that demon’s neck when I had the chance!_ Demon blood was filled with power, and it would restore him faster than the old human blood he had bought off a dealer in a club. But if he thought Mordichai was pissed at him before, having a pair of fangs in his neck would certainly set him off. No, old, cold blood it was.

He purposely took his time, knowing that while he needed the demon’s knowledge of the situation (which wasn’t much) he also hoped to piss him off enough that he would leave. After his albeit too short sleep, he woke up deciding that he probably didn’t need Mordichai for this, and that the demon would just hold him back if not outright murder him.

As he drank he went to dress. The demon followed, no doubt to oversee that he didn’t try anything sneaky. Cinder didn’t glance back as he slipped off his robe and went to his closet for clothes.

He could feel the demon’s eyes on him and smirked. Cinder didn’t mean to sound too full of himself, but he had a damn good body and he was proud of that. And Mordichai, being an alpha, would no doubt be attracted to him. While not an omega, his slender build and height absolutely made him look like one, and alphas loved that.

They all hunted him for the same reasons: fuck or kill.

He had managed to kill all his would-be assailants thus far. However this one was different, had been different since their first unfortunate meeting many years ago. Now they were inconvenienced by friends of friends, but like the demon said earlier: _friend of my friend or not, I’ll kill you._

…

 _Pretentious bastard,_ Mordichai thought as the halfbreed disrobed in front of him. Mordichai leaned his shoulder in the doorway while relaxing his wings so they didn’t scrape the ceiling. There was no denying the halfbreed had a nice body, slender and curved delicately in the right places, with a plump ass that any alpha would want to lay waste to. 

Too bad the damn halfbreed was so insufferable.

“Done yet?” He asked as the vampire continued to drink his awful smelling blood and go through his closet like he was planning to go to a gala and not a crime scene. “You were quite insistent earlier, what changed?”

Cinder leaned over as he pulled on a pair of tight trousers. “Nothing,” he answered. “I’m just deeply regretting not killing you earlier.”

“And keeping all the treasures for yourself?” Mordichai said with a smirk. “Too late, leech.”

“Yeah,” he muttered as he pulled on a shirt and a hooded cloak. He armed himself and finished the blood. In his brain the clock was ticking with a two-week countdown. Two weeks to death, if the demon behind him didn’t kill him first.

He exhaled shakily. Cinder has never been one to worry about death, but he had also made sure that whatever challenge he accepted was one he absolutely could win, or if worse came to worst, barter his way out of. He liked living, he liked to party and to have sex and he loved the time with his friends. On occasion he enjoyed time with the few siblings that tolerated him. But this might just be it for him, even if the crown was found by one of his father’s men, it didn’t guarantee he wouldn’t still meet the sun. 

For years he had wondered why his father had chosen to keep him after sentencing his mother to death. Then when he was older, he was being called upon like the royal hound dog. ‘Fetch me this golden ring from this cave no one has seen in a hundred years.’ ‘Kill this senator for me.’ ‘Bring me this silver fleece.’ He hadn’t failed yet, and he could not fail here.

He rubbed his head before turning around. The Shadow demon was staring at him, his red, hellfire eyes gleaming with something Cinder couldn’t read. He frowned. 

“Are you ready then?” He snapped. “The sooner I’m done with this job, the sooner I’m done with you.”

Mordichai scowled at him. “The feeling is mutual.”

In a swirl of shadow the demon traced away, and Cinder followed.

…

The fire had burned out, and the crows had devoured most of what was left of the saytrs. Cinder shooed them away as he circled the bound bodies, inspecting the damage that had been done.

Their throats were slit and they had been set on fire. But there was more to it. He frowned as he leaned closer to one body, examining the bones that were now visible after the flesh was eaten away.

“What is it?” Mordichai asked.

“His fingers are all broken,” Cinder said. “He was tortured. They both were. But why? They had the crown, did they not?”

Mordichai felt a cold rush of guilt rush over him. When he didn’t reply, the vampire turned to look at him, eyebrows raised. He chose not to answer immediately as he looked around.

The house was burned, but what was left smoldering had not been disrupted, so the house hadn’t been searched. Nothing around them had been disturbed, so no one had been looking for anything if the crown had been hidden. Which means they weren’t looking for an item, but information.

 _They were looking for me._ As far as Mordichai knew, the pair had asked him to help after taking the job, they needed a way out and called the only Shadow demon they knew who would be stupid enough to enter the dark fey realm.

Maybe Cinder was right, he was stupid for not asking more questions.

“Who knows,” he finally answered.

“I think you know.”

Mordichai raised his large wings. “I don’t.”

“Do I need to threaten your dick again?”

“You won’t be getting that close to me again,” Mordichai promised as he walked around, looking for other clues.

“Who hired them?” Cinder asked.

“I don’t know.”

“What did they want the crown for?”

“I don’t know.”

“Fuck,” he growled. Cinder looked around. There were two possibilities here. Either the person who hired the satyrs killed them to cover their tracks, or someone else caught wind of it and got here first.

His boot kicked something shiny and he looked down. He leaned over to pick it up, only to hiss in surprise and drop it while cradling his hand to his chest. “Shit!”

Mordichai, alerted by the outburst, stalked over. He frowned at the knife and picked it up easily. “It’s just iron. Extremely potent iron, but that wouldn’t burn the satyrs—“ Or a vampire.

He looked down at the smaller immortal, red eyes absolutely ablaze. Iron burned fey.

Cinder was part fey.

…

In the near pitch blackness of the night Cinder’s sea-green eyes glowed white in warning. He stepped back, but the looming alpha demon followed, holding the iron blade firmly in one hand. The knife was small, and looked comical in such a large hand, but Cinder feared it almost as much as the sun.

Items with a lower iron consistency didn’t work on him, but this was pure iron, made specifically to hurt fey. He looked at his fingertips, which were black, and back to the looming Shadow demon.

“Well, this explains so much,” Mordichai said as he twirled the blade. “Why the King would hire you, and why the chains in your dungeon were made of magically-enforced, low-iron metal.”

“So what are you going to do with this new information?” He asked as he continued to back away.

“What _can’t_ I do?”

“We made a deal,” he reminded the demon. “All the riches you want if you—“

“If I spare you life,” Mordichai interrupted. “There was no deal, halfbreed. I spared your life for riches, I never agreed to actually help you. Maybe I’ll wrap you in chains and solve this myself?”

“You haven’t the brains for it,” he spat.

Mordichai was on him before he could breathe. The large demon shoved him to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs, and straddled him, his big body effectively trapping the smaller immortal. He threatened to press the blade against Cinder’s neck, who shuddered.

“Can’t trace away this time,” he said as he kept one hand firmly wrapped around one of the halfbreed’s slender arms, only to hesitate when the halfbreed’s face scrunched in pain. He looked down to see he had grabbed the arm that had been burned earlier.

But he still didn’t let go.

“So what—what do you want?” Cinder asked as the knife hovered over his eye. He didn’t regenerate like some species, if he lost his eyes they would be gone forever. He tried to squirm, but the demon was too big. He had spread his dragon-like wings above him, blocking out the sky.

“Everything.”

“Typical,” Cinder said. “All power and glory and a kingdom all your own? For what, females to throw themselves at you, for people to worship you? It’s all fun and games until you realize none of that will sate you.”

“Don’t talk like you know me.”

“You’re an easy read—“

Cinder’s words ended in a yell of pain as an arrow pierced Mordicahi’s wing, passing through it easily, and hit Cinder in the shoulder. Immediately pain made him shake and smoke curled from the burning flesh.

Mordichai jerked back, which blocked a second arrow from hitting the vampire and instead struck him in the shoulder. He turned to look, but in the heavy darkness was now aided by a low-lying fog that was creeping in around them. But he saw the eyes.

Lots of eyes.

With a rumble he tightened his grip on Cinder’s arm and traced them. Like most demons, he didn’t have just one home or hideout. He was unwilling to bring an enemy back to his primary home, so he traced them to a cave he often used.

It was dark but one barked word and all the candles flickered to life, casting the vast cavern in heavy shadows. Mordichai released the vampire, who was shaking rather violently and struggling with the arrow still lodged in his shoulder. Sick smelling smoke churned from the wound, and Mordichai lunged, catching the vampire’s arm. He ignored his hissing and shoved him to the ground and again held him down with his weight, but this time he had a reason.

He grabbed the iron arrow and pulled it out.

Cinder’s scream echoed around them, and somewhere a swarm of bats flew off in fright. Then the halfbreed slumped back, unconscious.

“Shit,” Mordichai breathed as he tossed the arrow away. He only then remembered there was one jutting out of his own shoulder so he twisted to pull it out as well, and tossed it with the other on the ground.

While iron didn’t harm him, it had done a great deal of damage to the vampire. Mordichai pushed aside the cloak and ripped the rest of his shirt away to reveal blackened skin all around the wide, weeping wound. His entire shoulder and part of his chest was black, and Mordichai had no idea what to do.

 _Do I… just let him die?_ Someone had known they were going to be there, these arrows were specifically made to kill the halfbreed. Which meant whoever was behind all this knew what the vampire was.

Had all this been one elaborate trap to kill the halfbreed?

Outside it was a sunny afternoon. This plain was all scorching desert, which was why he chose it. No one ever explored beyond the oasis, there was literally nothing here but sand, but the few towns, centered around river ports, were bustling with unique trade.

He considered throwing the vampire out into the sun. He even grabbed Cinder by the arm and pulled him up off the ground, tearing a cry from him. Mordichai watched in morbid fascination as tears started to streak down his pale cheeks and his eyes fluttered open for a second, before closing again.

Mordichai cursed and shifted the limp body around in his arms and carried him over to his large bed. There he laid the halfbreed down and went to get his first-aid kit. As he sat on the bed, doing what he could to flush the wound and clean it, he wondered what the fuck he was doing. Reverse the situation and there was no way Cinder would care for him. 

He could have laid blame on his deeper alpha instincts, but Cinder wasn’t an omega. He played the part well, he knew how to act submissive, what body language would lure in an alpha. The halfbreed was smart, Mordichai couldn’t say otherwise. But it wasn’t his alpha instincts instructing him, it was… just him.

Which he hated even more.

…

Cinder woke up feeling like someone had tried to rip him in two. He groaned, pressing his face into soft furs, which smelled wonderfully of the deepest, richest musk, with a hint of smoky cedar. Not normally a scent he was drawn to, but it was so rich and comforting that it even ebbed the pain radiating through his entire right side.

As he lay, he thought and he listened. He could hear the distant sound of running water echoing off walls and the soft sound of wind. 

And breathing.

Cinder opened his eyes and raised his head. He was lying on his left side, wrapped in patterned furs and soft blankets, and sitting just a few feet away on a chaise was Mordichai.

Cinder sat up quickly and his world momentarily went bright with pain. He collapsed, his breath coming in sharp painful gasps, before he scowled at the demon.

“Must you always watch me sleep?” He growled.

“No thanks needed in saving your life,” Mordichai snapped back. “I didn’t go out of my way or anything.”

Cinder frowned and turned his attention to his shoulder. The arrow was gone, the wound was clean and bandaged; the black on his skin was starting to recede and there was even a bandage over the healing sword wound on his chest.

His frown increased. “Why did you do this?”

The demon did not answer.

Cinder’s sea green eyes flickered white. “I’m asking you why you did this! So I would be in your debt? I didn’t ask for this—I owe you nothing.”

Still, he didn’t reply.

The vampire halfbreed growled, but it was weak as he was overcome once again with exhaustion. “Answer me, Mordichai!”

Now the demon cocked his head. “Those arrows were meant for you. Which means someone other than me knows your secret. Why would a group of dark fey go through so much trouble to kill you?” He still didn’t know what kind of fey he was, which court he served. This could be as big as Summer versus Winter Courts, or as small as a personal vendetta between rivals. 

“Group of dark fey?” He repeated. “We… don’t know what they were.”

“I went back, I found scents and tracks. They were dark fey. What kingdom I don’t know, but they quite obviously know you,” he said calmly as he stood up. He watched as the vampire leaned back nervously. “Those arrows are pure iron. It was molded by a blacksmith, but it is pure.”

Cinder’s mind was in a whirlwind. Pure iron was rare, mined from meteorites that fell from the heavens. Why would someone go through so much trouble? Who had that time and money? And why…

He looked at his discolored skin again, and Mordichai spoke as if he read his mind, “It was in you only a couple of minutes and had spread to your chest. It took everything I had to flush it clean, and even then I had to bleed you. In five minutes you would have certainly died from poisoning.”

Cinder swallowed hard. The only ones who knew his heritage were his family. But no one would dare cross his father in order to kill him. It wasn’t protection, it was pride and greed. If anyone was going to kill him, it was going to be his father. But he would never order a hit on him, and send assassins for him. That wasn’t the king’s way.

“Who else knows about you, Cinder? Because I’m willing to bet that whoever it was is the person who hired Teak and Ruthen to steal the crown. And also who killed them.” He leaned over the vampire, hands on either side of him, putting them almost nose-to-nose. “Who knows what you are?”

“I can’t,” he whispered. No one outside Ironborn Castle knew who he was. King Aaliern’s word was absolute, no one talked about Cinder, no one called him a prince, no one but his sisters called him brother. No one could ever know.

“Cinder.”

He looked up, meeting red eyes that burned with fire. 

He needed out of here, right now, but he was too exhausted, and running on empty. Cinder’s eyes flickered and he decided to do the dumbest thing in his life: he grabbed Mordichai by his horns, jerked him forward, and bit his neck. The demon let out a surprised shout and lurched back, but Cinder didn’t let go. Hot blood filled his mouth, powerful magic rushed through his body. He groaned with delight, body shuddering as he continued to suck in mouthfuls--

Strong hands grabbed him and ripped him away and threw him to the ground. Mordichai stood over him, wings spread open wide, eyes bright with fury, with the look of murder on his face.

Cinder traced away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks for the comments and kudos! This is a scary time for all of us, so I hope you're all staying safe and healthy (and washing your hands!) If you're like me and still going to work everyday, do your best to just get through the day. We'll get through this eventually. xoxo


	4. The Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and commenting! It means a lot to me. xoxo

It wasn’t his most graceful landing. Cinder landed hard on his back, squeaking in pain, and found himself staring up at a night sky. He had meant to trace himself home, but instead he found himself in a field somewhere outside of Ironwood City. He could only trace to locations he had been before, and it took him a few seconds to figure out why he had been in this field outside the city before.

Then he heard the laughter, the loud beat of music; he could smell the sweat of young humans, smoke, musk, and alcohol. Of course, he had come here to hunt. This field was often used by young humans to party, which was exactly what was going on right now. Cinder lay quietly, hidden by tall grass, filled with delicate flashing abdomens from fireflies. He watched the small insects as they danced around each other.

The taste of the demon was still in his mouth. Exquisite. Mouth-watching. Absolutely rich and wonderful.

Cinder growled. All demons tasted good, especially alphas. They were raw power and filled with magic. He licked his lips and then sat up, reminding himself that the second Mordichai caught up with him he would probably kill him for the bite. The demon had been furious. Cinder couldn’t help from laughing to himself. He hadn’t seen the Shadow demon that angry since he had drugged him in order to steal a silver fleece for his father. That had been a fun hunt.

Music and laughter caught his attention and Cinder slowly stood up. He was shirtless and bandaged, but these humans were drunk and high, they wouldn’t notice. He went and mingled among them, luring a couple close enough to kiss their necks and bite them.

Ugh, they tasted awful. Their blood was hot, but it was dull and without magic.

It didn’t matter, he needed to fill up and heal. There was so much he needed to do.

…

_He was here._ The demon’s scent was so fresh that for a moment Cinder thought Mordichai _was_ still there, and he’d traced away twice before he stayed and looked around. Nothing looked disrupted, the demon hadn’t searched his place or touched anything, so he had come for him and only him.

Which meant he would be back.

Cinder went to shower and change his clothes. After gorging on so much blood he felt rejuvenated. His wounds were healed, his skin was warm and pink and flushed. He stood under the spray of warm water and closed his eyes, focussing on the energy currently pumping through his veins. The human blood had filled and healed him, but it was the demon’s blood that was singing in his veins. Fuck, had he known how good the demon tasted he would have left him chained in the dungeon and used him as a chalice. 

A sure way to end up without a head, but it would be worth it.

Cinder sighed and ran his hands through his long, wet hair. A group of dark fey had targeted them, and had known exactly how to kill him. It was possible it was a band of rogues from The Frozen Lands, his father was a strict and sometimes unfair ruler, so he had plenty who disliked him, but that would mean they knew who Cinder was. Outside the castle walls, no one knew who he was.

Well, other than Mordichai. Fucking demon.

Or maybe he was looking too far into it. Maybe they had just attacked them with weapons made of iron. That didn’t mean that Cinder was being personally targeted. It could all be...just a coincidence.

He ground his teeth together. _No, it’s not a coincidence._

Turning off the water he stepped out and dried off and went to dress. He then grabbed a bag and went to his closet as he braided his hair to keep it out of his face. He would need to find somewhere else to stay for now. He was sure that that demon would be back for revenge. Otherkin weren’t fans of being bitten by vampires.

And if they were dark fey targeting him it was only a matter of time before they found his apartment.

Cinder sighed once again. He hated running away. He wanted to face this head-on and get it over with. He wanted to find that stupid crown, give it to his father and pray he escaped with his life. Maybe his father’s mages already found it and he could barter his way out of the situation. A year in the dungeons with a whip across his back sounded like a fair punishment for his failure. He didn’t want it, the whips were tipped in iron to inflict the ultimate damage and would scar, but it was better than being locked in the tower to burn to death.

“Running away?”

He jumped and cursed. Turning around he faced the Shadow demon standing in his hallway. He nearly traced away, but instead he put his hands up in self-defense. He expected an iron knife to be thrown at him, or something to take off his head. He stared at the massive demon blocking his doorway. “What are you doing here?”

“Seeing if you were alive,” Mordichai growled as his red eyes swept over the vampire/fey halfbreed. The vampire still smelled like blood, but it was overwhelmed by the scent of jasmine and cool nights. This must be Cinder’s natural scent. And the vampire looked...good; alive. His skin was pink and his lips full and pouty. The tips of his ears were flushed and he could see more color on his cheeks. But Mordichai smelled something beyond the halfbreed’s natural scent: his own blood. Cinder had gorged on others, but Mordichai could smell _his blood_ coursing magic through the vampire’s veins. He didn’t know how he felt about this. He showed his fangs.

Cinder was also healed. How many people did the vampire have to kill to recover so quickly and acquire such a glow?

“Why are you here?” Cinder asked as he stepped back. The demon showed his teeth and his eyes were glowing, but he had yet to actually attack. The wound on his neck was healed, not surprising at all, Mordichai was stronger than Cinder had realized before he had bitten him.

“I knew you would try to break our deal,” he snapped, “you still owe me treasure. Oh, and also your life, especially since you fucking bit me. I should take your head for that, vampire.”

“You’re such a dick,” Cinder sighed as he fastened a clean cloak around his shoulders. “I’m surprised you want to still be involved considering there’s a target on my head. And I may just bite you again.”

“You won’t be getting the chance,” the alpha said. “And as long as I get my reward before you die, I don’t care.”

Cinder’s face normally would have shown no emotion, but because he was full of blood his cheeks and ears reddened in annoyance. He showed his teeth for a second before biting out, “What exactly can you help me with now? You’ve told me everything, haven't you? Didn’t you come here to kill me?”

“Not yet,” he said as he stepped closer. “There are some details I left out.”

“What are you leaving out?” He demanded as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at the demon. He could feel the energy humming through the alpha, he could hear the pulse of his blood and could smell it--

“How we got _in_.”

Cinder’s eyes widened and he was distracted. “How _did_ you get in?”

“I’ll show you,” Mordichai said and offered his hand.

Cinder bristled. “You expect me to trust you? I saw the way you looked at me after I bit you.”

“Does anyone actually want a vampire to bite them?” Mordichai pointed out. “If I wanted to kill you, I would have.”

“You’re that obsessed with treasure? That’s so… shallow.”

“Do you want to get to the bottom of this or not?”

Cinder took a deep breath before he reached out and let the demon grab his hand.

Mordichai stared down at him, eyes glowing, before he traced them back to the monolith formation where this whole nightmare began. He dropped the vampire’s hand and opened his wings, leaping into the sky.

It was close to dawn here, and Cinder could feel it prickling the back of his neck. They would have to hurry, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the Shadow demon as he circled around, looking for danger. The demon was surprisingly graceful as he swooped down along the treetops, and the moonlight shined off his horns and his long white hair. His hellish eyes held their red glow, and when the demon looked down at him, Cinder shivered.

It was just because he had drank from him. He would feel a connection until the blood and magic was gone.

Cinder shook his head and turned away, finally seeing the structure in front of him. He sucked in a surprised breath. “Of course!” He exclaimed. There weren’t a lot of these old blood-offering gateways left, but they were out there.

Cinder stepped up amongst the stones. The altar was dry, the blood stained from so many years ago. He touched the old runes, in a language he didn’t know. White flowers grew among the burial mounds that were beyond the circle, and the trees here were massive and dark from so many years of soaking up the blood from sacrifices and magic.

The demon’s wings made a loud _whoosh_ as he landed. “We’re alone “ he said as he stepped towards Cinder. “So hopefully we’ll have no surprises.”

He walked up to the altar. “You didn’t sacrifice? Unless that’s why you brought me here.”

The demon rumbled deep in his chest. “As fun as that would be, no,” he said as he stood on the opposite side. “Teak had a scroll that opened the gateway.”

“What kind of scroll? Where did he get it?”

“He said he got it from a guy who knew a guy,” Mordichai said as he touched the altar. “It was a spell scroll. Very old.”

Cinder frowned and rubbed his head. Things were not adding up. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“Why not?” The demon asked as he walked around the altar and approached the halfbreed. “You can find all kinds of things on the black markets.”

“But not things like _this_ ,” Cinder said as he cautiously stepped back, which put his back to the stone slab. “Spells like that don’t get out of the kingdom. King Aaliern would never, _ever_ allow someone to create such a spell, and then leave the kingdom. Because in order to make that spell they need to be on location to do it. They would have to be…”

“Have to be what?” Mordichai asked. He saw the vampire pale and shifted his wings, opening them protectively, and blocking out the brightening sky. “So, now you tell me what you’re hiding.”

“I’m not hiding anything,” he said as he looked up. The cold of the slab chilled his skin through his clothing, remnants of old magic pushing against his own. It was old, dark, blood magic, and it scraped against his inner core like nails on a chalkboard. Nothing good could come from such a place. Even those that sacrificed here didn’t come out unscathed. 

He shivered and traced around the demon. He looked at the growing light on the horizon. “I need to go and figure out what’s going on--”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not,” Cinder argued. “So far no one knows you’re involved. You should keep it that way.”

“No one? Those dark fey saw me,” he pointed out.

“They saw a winged demon attacking a vampire,” Cinder said. “Nothing new. Vampires are hunted everyday by Otherkin. For all they know you were just trying to make a name for yourself. Add my fangs to your collection jar.”

For some reason the thought of ripping out the vampire’s teeth made him sick. Mordichai shook his head. “So you’re going to go back there and tell them what, exactly?”

“I’ll think of it when I get there,” he said. “You should… go home, before it’s too late for you.”

“Wait--” Mordichai reached out and grabbed the vampire’s arm, but Cinder hissed and tried to jerk away. When the demon didn’t let go, the vampire attacked him and knocked him back onto the altar while pulling a knife. Mordichai avoided the first stab and growled loudly.

Cinder was strong and fast, he was filled with blood and demon magic, but the Shadow demon was still stronger. He grabbed the knife, letting it cut through his palm, and jerked it away while flipping their positions and trapping the halfbreed once again beneath him. Cinder hissed and snapped his fangs, but Mordichai held him still by closing his free hand around his narrow throat.

“Now,” Mordichai said as he tossed the knife away and leaned over the vampire, “I’m going to ask you some questions and you’re going to answer.”

…

Why did this keep happening? Normally Cinder would be delighted to have a big alpha pinning him down, but Mordichai wasn’t going to fuck him. He hissed.

Then Mordichai pulled out the iron knife from earlier and Cinder felt his stomach turn. He stopped struggling immediately. “You kept that?” He gasped.

Mordichai loosened his grip but did not release the vampire. “Of course I did. I’ve been looking for your weaknesses for years, Cinder. Now I found them.”

Cinder’s eyes darted to the horizon, beyond the tree line and hills. “The sun will be rising soon.”

“Then you better answer fast.”

“What you ask me, I can’t answer,” he growled.

“We haven’t even started yet and you’re already being difficult,” the Shadow demon said with a dramatic sigh. He folded his wings down, digging the claw from the main limb into the stone on either side of the vampire’s head. “Are you dark fey?”

Cinder’s growl faded when the knife was closer. “Yes.”

“So that’s how you have it in with the royal family?”

“Yes.”

Mordichai hummed. “What’s the real reward you’ll get when you find the crown?”

Cinder ground his teeth together. His spine was tingling and his brain was starting to go haywire as the sky started to light up. He couldn’t see it, the demon’s wings blocked all light, but he felt it inside him. He let out a desperate whine. “What does it matter?”

“I’m curious.”

“No.”

Mordichai looked up as the sky changed colors as golden beams of light cut through the trees. He looked down at the vampire, who’s sea green eyes were wide and wet.

“Tell me.”

“You’re such a dick.”

“Tell me.”

Beams of light hit the rocks and Cinder hissed in pain as it reflected around them and stung his eyes. “I get to live!”

Mordicahi leaned back in surprise. “What?”

“If I get it, he won’t kill me—“ his shout ended in a sharp yelp of pain as the sun hit his skin. Thankfully a moment later he was being enveloped in shadows and cold, and was being dropped down onto a rug.

Cinder lay breathing heavily and shivering. He healed quick, using much of the energy he had stocked up on earlier, and when the nausea passed he opened his eyes.

He didn’t bother to try tracing. He could feel the weight of an enchantment pulsing through the floor and could see the vague vibration of magic. This was the demon’s lair and he had warded it against enemies and tracing. Cinder wasn’t going anywhere without permission.

Or he killed the demon.

Mordichai stared down at him, a growl caught in his chest, before he turned and stomped away.

“Where are you going? And where am I?” Cinder demanded as he sat up.

“My home,” he growled, “and I’m going to make myself a drink.”

Gods, he could go for a drink. He stood and followed. The demon’s home was like any other, but he noticed immediately there were no windows. The walls were all a faded, white brick and the furniture well-worn and mismatched. It all screamed bachelor. 

“Where are we?” he asked.

“The Vale,” Mordichai answered as he went to the bar and reached for a bottle of demon brew. He poured himself a drink before grabbing another glass and pouring one for the vampire.

Cinder frowned in distaste. “The Vale? Why?” He looked at the glass before picking it up. He wasn’t a fan of heavy demon brews, they were like a punch to the stomach and sometimes hard to keep down, but he was having one of the worst weeks of his life, so he threw back the glass.

He had to lean over on the bar, gasping for breath, before he straightened up. Mordichai had seated himself on a barstool and was watching him with unreadable red eyes. Cinder frowned and reached for the bottle and poured himself another glass. Then he hopped up onto the bar and sat down, and this time he sipped the drink slowly.

After a few minutes of silently drinking, Mordichai asked, “So you weren’t hired.”

“No. I was ordered.”

Mordichai’s frown deepened and he reached for the bottle to refill the vampire’s glass. “He hired you to find The Winter Crown before the solstice. If you don’t find it, he’ll kill you.”

“That sums it up,” Cinder murmured as he swirled around the glass before drinking it down. The burn and kick had gone from making him ill to numbing him up. 

“Why not disappear?” Mordichai suggested. “The worlds are vast. You could go anywhere, become someone else.”

“I don’t want to be anyone else,” Cinder said. “I like who I am. I like my life and my friends. I don’t want to run away like a coward.”

Mordichai frowned as he drank. When Cinder finished off the bottle he didn’t complain. He watched as the vampire, who had slumped in a depressive stupor, sat staring at the shiny granite countertop whole clutching his glass between his hands. 

So he got up and grabbed another bottle and poured the vampire and himself another drink.

“This would be better with blood,” Cinder muttered.

“Well I’m not offering,” Mordichai snapped. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you.”

“Always threatening to kill me but never doing it,” Cinder slurred as he gulped down another glass and finally just grabbed the bottle. “Full of worthless promises.”

Mordichai frowned at the drunk vampire currently sitting on the bar. “I would rather not upset Jake.”

Cinder’s expression softened and he rubbed his eyes. “Don’t tell him about this. He’ll want to help and I can’t have him out here getting hurt. He’s been through so much… and he just got his wings back. Did you see them? Beautiful.”

“Doesn’t he owe you for helping, though?”

“I don’t do my friends favors,” Cinder corrected, “I just help them. I’ll do anything for my friends.”

“You’re a lot softer than you look.”

Cinder’s eyes flickered white for a moment, then he took another long drink before eyeing the demon up and down. He certainly wasn’t unattractive. He had a nice face, strong jaw, pretty braids and gorgeous horns. He cocked his head. “And what do you ask for, from your friends?”

Mordichai folded his wings back. “Money, usually.”

“No free favors for the sell-sword,” he hummed.

“I would,” Mordichai said defensively. “If they needed me, I would.”

“But you did not,” Cinder accused with a little growl. “You weren’t there with them when they went after the witch.”

Mordichai stared at him. “Neither were you.”

“I wasn’t told!” Cinder exclaimed angrily. “Or I would have been! I’d taken a sword for Jake. But he had that lightning-bearing halfling to save them all. I would have helped. I always want to help…”

“So who helps you?”

“You,” he hiccuped as he finished the bottle. “For riches.”

“Are there even riches?”

Cinder looked away and shrugged. 

He broke the silence after it grew deafening. “I might know somehow who can help us. A tracker better than myself.”

Cinder looked up. He was feeling the weight of the alcohol now, and it was tossing his emotions around like a canoe in white water rapids. “Why.”

“You said it yourself, you want to live.”

“You hate me,” he slurred with irritation.

“I don’t like you,” Mordichai found himself saying. “That’s different from hate.”

“You were gonna let me burn.”

“I…” he started as he lowered his wings. “I wasn’t.”

Cinder set the glass down loudly and huffed at the large alpha. He scooted across the bar until he was sitting in front of the demon, who leaned back. “So what is it then? Are you so greedy for treasure? Or are you looking for something else?”

Mordichai growled, but before he could respond he found the drunken vampire in his lap, his lips pressed against his own. He pushed Cinder back in surprise. “Stop.”

“This is what you want,” Cinder slurred as he groped the demon through his pants. “All alphas do.”

“You’re drunk,” Mordichai said as he shuddered under the vampire’s delicate grip. 

“So? Has that stopped an alpha before?”

Mordichai growled in his chest as the vampire again tried to kiss him. He stood up, shoving the vampire onto his back on the bar and loomed over him. Cinder had his legs wrapped around him, and was sucking at his neck, even bit his jaw. He was acting like a needy omega, and Mordichai felt his deeper instinct start to respond.

When Cinder kissed him, all tongue and fangs, Mordichai groaned and kissed him back. He slanted his mouth over the smaller male’s and drove his tongue in, tasting alcohol and blood. Cinder sucked his tongue and Mordichai jerked his hips forward, growling deep in his chest. He tangled one hand in the vampire’s hair and pulled, which caused Cinder to cry out.

Hands clutched his horns and Cinder humped against him. “Demon…”

Abruptly he straightened up and pulled the vampire into his arms. He stomped through the house as Cinder continued to kiss at his lips and neck, even licking his horns. 

Mordichai’s heart was pounding and it took every ounce of willpower to not give into the vampire’s lips, which were fucking talented. Cinder cupped his face, kissed him with a deep, fiery passion, moaning loudly now. His body was lithe and shaped very much like an omega despite him not being one, and he fit very well against Mordichai’s. The alpha demon’s thoughts tripped him up; imagining those lips around his cock while he pumped into his mouth, before he reached the bathroom and stomped into it.

He stepped into the massive shower and turned the cold water on full blast and stood under it.

Cinder shrieked in shock. He hissed and squirmed, but Mordichai held him firmly. “Shit!!” He shouted.

Mordichai held him under the spray after turning the halfbreed to face it. The cold made his skin pimple and he could feel the vampire shaking. Cinder cursed a few more times before he tried to twist out of the alpha’s grip, even tried to bite him. “Back with me?”

Cinder sputtered and hissed. “Yes! Let me go!”

He did, and the halfbreed cowered in the corner of the large shower, shivering and dripping wet. Mordichai turned off the water and flapped his wings once to get the water off before he started to strip.

Now slightly sober, seeing the alpha removing his wet clothing made Cinder tense up, but out of pure stubbornness he didn’t look away.

As expected the Shadow demon had an _amazing_ upper body. With wings like that it made sense the rest of him would be completely cut. He had a warrior’s body, but unlike a lot of other alpha demons he wasn’t adorned in tattoos that told of his victories, and his hair, while long and braided, wasn’t nearly as extravagant as those who had led soldiers into war or made a living killing.

Off went through tunic, and then the trousers, and Cinder eyed the half-hard erection that jutted from a patch of dark hair. _Gods, was I grinding on him that much? Or is he just that sensitive?_ He touched his lips, which were aching, and remembered just moments ago kissing that mouth, sucking on his tongue. A part of him was bitter that the demon stopped what they had been doing. But he was also grateful because what a mistake it would have been...

It was probably not the time to taunt the demon about his (rather impressive) erection, as he blocked the shower door and Cinder couldn’t trace around him. When the demon was completely naked he left the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off.

Cinder stepped to the edge of the shower and sighed. He might have sobered up slightly but he was still full of heavy alcohol and it was hitting him now. He closed his eyes and leaned on the shower door.

He didn’t know if he passed out or fell asleep. He just opened his eyes later and was on a sofa, naked, and covered yet again with blankets that smelled like smokey cedar. In front of him was a fireplace, the flames flickering red and gold and incredibly warm. Again the heavy scent of the Shadow demon was comforting, and he almost put his head down to sleep off the rest of his hangover. He hadn’t been sleeping nearly enough, as little naps were not as efficient to a vampire who was trying to recover their energy. He was still pretty full, but the blood from the humans had been dull and flavorless; like drinking dirt.

The soft murmur of voices caught his attention. He could smell demon musk and coffee, but it wasn’t just Mordichai he smelled, there was another demon here as well.

Cinder sat up slowly, keeping the blanket around himself, and looked around. The den was open to the kitchen and he saw Mordichai sitting at the bar with another demon. This one was much bigger, with purple skin, four black horns, and a tail that was flicking back and forth like a cat’s. An Inferno demon.

Cinder frowned on confusion. How would Mordichai even know such a dangerous creature? Inferno demons were known for their skin that could melt bones, and their bloodlust. Cinder has always played with danger but even he avoided demons such as this. 

He was looking around for his clothing when Mordichai spoke, “Get enough beauty rest?”

Cinder withheld a growl and instead stood up, dropping the blanket, and rested his hand on his hip. “You tell me.”

The Inferno demon rumbled a laugh and turned back to his drink, while Mordichai’s wings twitched. “I’ve seen better.”

“Fuck off. Where are my clothes?”

“The bathroom floor.”

Truly irritated now, Cinder stomped to the bathroom, only to find his clothing dry and neatly folded on the counter. He dressed and found a brush so he could fix his tangled hair, and then walked back to the others, who were talking quietly.

Cinder stepped carefully around the Inferno and went to the coffee pot. He poured himself a mug and added a lot of sugar. As he stirred it, he turned back to the two alpha demons who were watching him.

“So what are you whispering about?” He asked. “Where to bury my body?”

The Inferno demon laughed again. “I like him.”

“I… didn’t ask? But thanks,” he replied with confusion.

Mordichai looked at the other demon before answering, “This is Maddox, and I think he can help you.”

…

Cinder’s look of alarm made Mordichai sit up. “I didn’t tell him any of your little secrets,” he reassured, “just our current predicament.”

Cinder rubbed his head. He probably needed more alcohol, and not coffee, but this was something he should approach more sober. If he lost his inhibitions again he might find himself in bed with two big alphas. Which...was that so bad? _No, focus, Cinder!_ “I appreciate the offer, but if either of you help me, you’ll probably die. So just let me leave, and we can all go on with our lives.”

Maddox smirked, showing his teeth. “Mordichai tells me you’re trying to locate The Winter Crown. I may know a thing or two.”

“And what do you want in return?” Cinder asked, skeptical.

“Nothing. I owe Mordichai a favor.”

He looked at the Shadow demon. “So then what do _you_ want? You know by now that there’s no reward here.”

“I’ll think of something,” Mordichai said.

“I refuse to be in your debt,” Cinder growled.

“Try having a little faith in someone.”

“You _hate me_.”

“I dislike you.”

“It’s the same thing!”

“It’s very different.”

Maddox muttered an inaudible “wow,” before finishing his drink. “Look,” he said, “I don’t know what your relationship is, or what is all going on, but I told Mordichai I would help him. If you’re really so insistent on going on alone, I don’t care. But I’m not going to sit here and listen to you argue like a married couple of banshees. I have my mates waiting for me at home.”

_Mates? Well, he’s big enough to have a harem._ “Fine. Just… tell me what you know.”

“And we aren’t married,” Mordichai growled.

“I’ll bring you there,” Maddox said as he stood. 

Cinder tensed as the large alpha stepped over to him and offered his hand. Cinder looked up at him warily. The alpha carried with him a heavy musk, and his scent was sharp and spicy, but he could smell something else. A soft scent: the gentle perfume of an omega. It was calming, enough so that he willingly took the demon’s hand.

They traced to an open field. The sky was dark and lifeless, around them were petrified black trees, and the wind was cold and sharp. Cinder drew his shoulders up and shivered as the cold cut through him.

Mordichai appeared next to him a moment later. The Shadow demon opened his wings to block the wind and Cinder instinctively moved closer just to get out of the blast of cold air.

Then he looked around. The field was clear, save for a large stone with a flat top. It wasn’t an altar, and there were no glyphs or runes carved into it. There was evidence of a bonfire however, and lots of footprints left in the dark soil. “Where are we? How did you find this place?”

“I live not far from here,” Maddox explained. “I noticed, two days in a row, a fire burning here. This is my land, and I came to investigate.”

Cinder nodded. An alpha protecting an omega would absolutely be aware of the slightest change in their territory. “What did you find?”

“Dark fey, maybe a dozen,” Maddox said. 

Cinder felt sick. “Did you get a good look at them?”

“I killed a couple,” Maddox said with a grunt. “They scattered after that, taking everything with them. But they had had magic scrolls and maps, and one of them was wearing a royal circlet.”

Cinder stepped back. “Did you recognize the crest?”

“Sorry, I didn’t,” Maddox said.

“What did they look like?” He asked shakily.

“Like a dark fey,” Maddox grunted. “I didn’t get close enough as they fled first. The others were wearing light armor and mage robes. The two I killed were dressed in casual attire, and appeared to be of a different kingdom.”

_Teak knew a guy who knew a guy._ Mordichai shook his head. “So another kingdom, maybe?”

Cinder ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. “How did you know that Maddox knew all this?”

Mordichai answered, “I didn’t. I wanted him to help track, but when I started to tell him about the fey he told me about this. Cinder, do you think this involves your hunt for the Winter Crown?”

“I think it does, yes,” he said quietly as he stepped closer to the remains of the fire.

Maddox shifted. “If that’s all you needed, I must return home. Those fey haven’t returned since that night, but I can’t leave my mates unattended until I’m sure they won’t return.”

An entire squad of dark fey couldn’t take down an enraged Inferno demon, but Cinder understood. “Thank you for your help,” he said with a bow.

“Good luck,” he said before disappearing. 

Mordichai looked down at Cinder and extended his wing to block the wind. “Do you have any ideas?”

“Too many,” he confessed. “I need to return to Castle Ironborn and ask around.”

Mordichai shook his head. “How do you know that they won’t kill you?”

“The job isn’t not done yet,” he said. “I have… I have sources inside who might be able to help me.”

“Well I can--”

“We’ve been over this, you can’t come with,” Cinder said as he turned to look at the demon. He hadn’t realized how close Mordichai was to him, or that the demon had opened his wings and closed them around him to them to block the cold wind. 

“Fine,” he grunted. “But I’m not letting you go without a way to contact me.”

“I can’t use my phone in the Frozen Lands,” Cinder said with a frown.

“I know that,” he grunted. “Just… wait. One second. Wait here.”

The demon disappeared in a burst of smoke and shadow and Cinder was hit by the wind. He turned away from it, shivering and wrapping his arms around himself. Why he was actually waiting, he didn’t know. He took the opportunity to go around the abandoned campsite. There was very little for him to actually find. There was evidence of a scuffle, probably from the Inferno demon, and a lot of footprints. He leaned over to uncover something in the dirt, only to pull his fingers back with a gasp.

An iron arrow, the same kind that had struck him when he and Mordichai had been ambushed.

He nudged the arrow with his foot while cradling his hand to his chest. Who would do this? There were dozens of other Dark Fey kingdoms, but as far as Cinder knew, none had ever attempted to attack the Frozen Lands. For one, the plane was almost as desolate as the Vale, and for another, no one wanted to cross King Aaliern.

He was pushing around burned branches that were in the charred remains of the bonfire when Mordichai returned. Cinder frowned at the large demon as he stomped toward him, something in his fist.

For a moment he thought it was the iron knife and he hissed, leaping back.

“Calm down,” Mordichai grunted. He held out his hand. “Take this.”

“What is it?” Cinder asked as he kept his distance, not trusting the demon to not surprise him with some kind of attack. But then Mordichai opened his hand and in his palm was a red stone. “Wait… Are you serious?”

“Take it,” Mordichai insisted as he stepped closer, only to have the vampire step back. He opened his wings to block the wind. “Cinder, take it.”

“That’s a summoning stone,” Cinder said. “I can smell your blood in it. You can’t be serious.”

“If you need help, you can use this to summon me,” Mordichai said. He took several quick steps forward and caught Cinder’s wrist before the vampire could step away. He dropped the warm stone into the halfbreed’s hand and closed it. “You’re… you’re Jake’s friend. If you need help, I’ll help you.”

“You’ll help me… for Jake’s sake?” he asked skeptically.

Mordichai looked down at him, red eyes glowing and expression unreadable. “Yes.”

Cinder stepped back as he shoved the stone in his pocket. He gave the demon one last curious look before tracing away. Mordichai’s wings drooped somewhat and he let the cold wind pummel him as the vampire’s scent was quickly swept away. He growled softly.

It shouldn’t bother him that Cinder might be on his way to die.

He hated the halfbreed, didn’t he? Or was it truly just dislike? In a short amount of time he had learned so much, too much, because it was enough to change his opinion on the halfbreed. He in fact, did not hate him. He didn’t even dislike him.


	5. The Tower

Cinder traced to his room in Castle Ironborn. It was dark, no candles were lit, and the windows had been covered by heavy light-blocking curtains long ago. There was dust on every surface and the bed smelled musty; cobwebs hung from the chandelier and nothing had been touched or moved in years. With no fire in the hearth it was cold and unwelcoming, just like the rest of the castle.

He stood in the middle of the dark room, just trying to control his breathing and decide what he needed to do. _Should I tell Mel, or go to father and risk pissing him off?_ He crossed the bedroom to a scrying mirror, pulling off the cover. He stared at his reflection as he weighed the options before him.

He could always go to his brothers, but not all lived in the castle, and they for the most part, hated him. There was one he could go to, who hated his guts but loved his kingdom. The Frozen Land’s golden child.

Cinder didn’t care how he was dressed, or that his hair was a mess and he smelled like demons and alcohol. He left his room and walked quickly through the castle. The first set of guards he ran into stopped to bow (out of pure courtesy, they hated him as much as any other) and he asked, “Where is Bram?”

“The Prince is in the garden,” one of the guards replied stiffly as she looked him over. It was clear she had more to say, but she did not dare. Vampire bastard or not, he was still a prince.

He didn’t thank her, just traced to the entrance of the garden. The iron gate and fence were covered in dark thorns and withered, deep red roses. Trees grew tall, dark and gnarled, their branches as bear as the Frozen Lands terrain. He stepped through, following the old cobblestone path. He passed by a fountain of a weeping maiden with water pouring from her eyes and nipples. There were large stone glyphs with carvings of old dark fey ways along the walkway, some had fallen years ago and lay broken and undisturbed.

He knew exactly where his brother would be, even if he hadn’t heard the clang of swords. He passed through another old gate into a courtyard, and saw his older brother there with a group of guards. Bram was wearing no armor, only his royal dress wear, and was dueling two of the guards at once. He used two swords and wielded them as if they were an extension of his body. 

Bram looked like their father, but he had the grace and good looks of his mother, the late Queen Radiant and the last queen of The Frozen Lands. His dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail and his silver circlet gleamed in the low-lights of the garden. He held his black fey wings against his back to keep them safe, until the time came to use them and lift himself off the ground.

The guards not participating clapped as Bram knocked both his opponents down simultaneously and landed lightly on his feet. He was as proud as a peacock and drank up the praise.

Cinder rolled his eyes before stealing himself for the conversation he was about to have. “Bram!” he called.

The silence and looks he received were more cold than the winds of The Vale. He motioned to his brother before walking through the hedges to a bench nestled among old flora near another fountain. This one was filled with dark water that poured from a giant fish’s mouth.

“What do you want, leech?” Bram asked as he approached, sheathing his sword as he strutted. He adjusted his tunic and jacket as he looked at Cinder’s far too casual attire and washed out appearance. “I know you’re a halfbreed-bastard but you could at least pretend to be royalty.”

“I’m only royalty inside these walls,” Cinder reminded him with a glare, “out in the worlds I’m just another halfbreed.”

Unable to argue with his words, Bram shrugged and sat down. “So what do you want?”

“We have a problem.”

“Yes, one that you’re supposed to be solving,” the fey prince said as he looked at his nails. 

“It’s bigger than that, I’m afraid.”

The prince’s wings twitched. “Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess?”

Cinder refrained from growling or cursing at him, he needed Bram to listen to him and that couldn’t be done while they were fighting. He shoved his hands in his pockets and closed his fingers around the summoning stone, which was warm and vibrating with the demon’s blood magic.

“I was following a lead and was ambushed.”

Bram’s dark eyes narrowed. “By whom?”

“I didn’t see them, but I was struck with an arrow made of pure iron.”

Bram’s eyes dragged over him. “And you’re still alive, how?

“That’s not important,” he insisted quickly. “What is important is that my attackers were dark fey.”

“Are you sure about that?” Bram asked, eyes narrowing.

“Of course I am,” Cinder growled. 

“Perhaps they were simply out for a vampire hunt. I heard vampire fangs are in high demand right now.”

“ _Oh—_ are you going to take me seriously or not!?” He snapped as he stood up. “From what I’ve been able to find, all evidence points to this being an inside job. The ones who used the scroll are dead, and I was attacked at their location. They knew I was coming!”

Bram stood and shook his wings. “Father’s mages have been tracking these thieves as well. They found a burned out house. Perhaps his men attacked you on accident?”

Cinder frowned. “Would they really make such a mistake?” But even as he asked it, he had to wonder if it was possible. Mordichai had been straddling him at the time, they may have not seen him.

But they had also purposely shot through the thin membrane of the demon’s wing to hit him. No, Cinder doubted it was anything but on purpose.

“Cinder,” Bram sighed, “when did you last rest? You look exhausted. And have you fed recently? Or even showered? You stink of alpha demons and whoring.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted. “If you aren’t going to take me seriously then maybe I’ll go talk to Mel.”

“Now, now, don’t have a fit and run off,” Bram said as he walked around Cinder. “Let’s discuss this further. Maybe go talk with father.”

Cinder closed his hand around the summoning stone, squeezing it. “Is that a good idea?”

“If someone is trying to make him look like a failure to His Majesty then he deserves to know, or do you not agree?”

They stood staring at each other. Bram’s eyes were narrowed and dark, Cinder’s flickering between sea-green and glowing white. Of course he _had_ to agree. To suggest they not tell the king that this may be more than a simple theft would be considered treason. Cinder nodded. “Fine.”

Bram smiled. “Glad we’re in agreement.”

…

Mordichai remained at the campsite for the next hour, searching for any evidence he could. There were iron arrows, left behind from Maddox’s attack, and some pieces of ripped parchment and paper, a few gold coins. He gathered up all the pieces of iron, placing them in a duffel bag and pocketed the money. Then he found the two graves of the fey Maddox had killed. After digging them up he frowned.

It wasn’t the melted flesh and bone that had him frowning, but their attire. They were Wanderers, fey who purposely cut out their own wings before ascension and lived life wandering from town to town, doing trade and going after treasure. They were renowned for their unorthodox way of living, and the lengths they would go through to acquire unique items and weapons.

Maybe even a scroll that granted access to an inaccessible treasure vault?

He found more gold on them, and scrolls, but they appeared to be related to another job. There was a contract but it was dealing with a Minotaur lord and the location of a witch's tomb. There was also fliers to hand out in a market, and a couple of hand drawn maps.

He buried the bodies again and leaped into the sky. The wind was cold but it was faster than walking, and really, it wasn’t that much different than The Frozen Lands where he had grown up.

It didn’t take long to see the Inferno demon’s home. Like his own it was all stone and brick, with no windows and heavy doors to keep out the cold and the few monsters that roamed the land.

Mordichai landed outside the door. He hated to drop by uninvited. He liked Maddox but Inferno demon’s were temperament and absurdly dangerous and they had the reputation of being merciless killers. He knew that Maddox had two mates, one was as dangerous as himself, and he had smelled an omega on him, but had never seen it. What omega would willingly mate with such dangerous demons? He didn’t think Maddox was the type to keep another against their will, but he also didn’t know the demon all that well. It was possible...

He started to have second-thoughts about this, and almost left. But no, Cinder needed his help—

He raised his fist to knock before he could back out, when the door opened. It wasn’t Maddox standing there however, but another alpha demon. _Is this alpha Maddox’s other mate?_ he wondered as the Rage demon looked him over. The scent coming off him was certainly intertwined with Maddox’s, and Mordichai had smelled that scent before.

The Rage demon was quite handsome. His skin was pale but when angry or excited it would flush red. He had two, pearl-white horns that sprouted from orange hair that had dark roots. Strangely the alpha did not have any braids, but his hair looked like it was growing out. He had healer’s tattoos on his arms but he looked more like a limber assassin to Mordichai than a medic.

“Yes?” The rage demon asked curtly.

“I was looking for Maddox,” Mordichai answered as he shifted his wings back. “Are you his...mate?”

The rage demon smiled, showing his teeth. “I’m Brasch. And you’re Mordichai. Come on in,” he said as he stepped back. “Where is your little vampire friend?”

“He isn’t my friend,” Mordichai protested, but the words tasted bad in his mouth.

Brasch laughed. “Whatever you say. Maddox is this way.”

Mordichai followed the other demon through the rather large Villa. The first thing he noticed, other than the trophies and weapons, was the mixed scents. Yes, two alpha demons lived here, and were in a sexual relationship, and there was also the soft perfume of an omega. A halfbreed, he suspected, but he couldn’t tell exactly what. The two alpha’s scents were too strong for him to decipher much of anything about the third demon. So he followed Brasch quietly to a training room in the basement. There Maddox was doing push-ups but there was someone sitting on his back.

“...isn’t that one hundred?”

“Only seventy-five.”

“I think you’re lying.”

“With arms as big as yours, you should be able to do a thousand push-ups… Oh, Brasch!”

Mordichai blinked in confusion at the scene. The omega halfbreed was...much smaller than the two alphas. Any ideas he had about the alphas keeping the omega against his will was immediately cast aside. This delicate looking harpy-halfbreed was lovely and smelled sweet; he was happy and not at all afraid. He wore his hair on a single braid and was wearing workout shorts and a hoodie, and there were claim bites on either side of his neck.

Maddox turned his head to look while in mid push-up. “I repaid my favor, Mordichai.”

The omega removed himself from the alpha’s back and said, “Oh, this is him?”

“Mmhmm,” Maddox said as he stood and straightened up. “Where’s your friend?”

Mordichai resisted the urge to argue. “I’m here to ask you for a favor now.”

“You sure you want to be bound to me?” Maddox scoffed.

“You got off easy,” Mordichai reminded him.

The Inferno demon hummed. “What do you need?”

“The fey you killed were Wanderers.”

“I saw that as I buried them.”

“They always travel in groups. Have you seen anything else around that might hint of them?” He asked. 

“No one has come knocking on my door if that’s what you mean.”

The omega frowned. “Actually, I have.”

Brasch looked at the omega with a frown. “August, when?”

“Last week, when we went to the market Shadow’s Horn. There were a group of them set up in the square. Remember? A couple summer fey started a fight with them,” the omega said as he looked between the three larger demons.

“I remember the fight, because a gorgon tried to use it as a distraction to get at you,” Brasch said with a growl. His skin started to stain red.

“Yes, and I spilled his intestines on the ground with my knife,” August reminded him.

Maddox’s tail wagged as he looked down at the omega fondly. Then his expression muted as he looked to Mordichai. “Is that good enough for you?”

“It’s a lead,” he said. “Thank you. I’m in your debt.”

“You’re in his,” Maddox said as he looked at the halfbreed.

Mordichai shifted his wings before he bowed to the omega. “Then I’m in yours, August.”

August laughed, soft and breathy. “You owe me nothing. Good luck. I hope you can help your friend.”

“He’s not…” Mordichai frowned and rubbed his hand over one horn. “I don’t know what he is.” He looked closely at the omega, at the matching scars on either side of his neck from his mates. He had never marked anyone, never wanted to. But what would it be like? Their situation seemed unorthodox and he was sure they took plenty of hell for it, but they were all happy. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had felt actually _happy._

“Thank you,” he said again, softer this time, and traced away.

...

Mordichai had been to Shadow’s Horn once before, and arrived just outside the city gates. It was lush and warm here, with massive tropical trees that dwarfed the wall around the city. Lines of people came and went as they pleased through the open gates, guarded by two ogres. 

He took a deep breath and tried clearing his head, but he couldn’t stop wondering where Cinder was. Castle Ironborn to be sure, but was he safe? Were his inside men truly trustworthy? The halfbreed was playing a very dangerous game and Mordichai wasn’t there to watch his back. The halfbreed was formidable, that was absolutely true, but he had grown up hearing stories of the fey king of The Frozen Lands, and the terrible things he had done to not only his people, but his mistresses and wives.

Mordichai followed a wagon hauling produce through the gates and made his way to the market. The sun was shining down through gaps in the canopy and even with the city noise he could still hear the song of birds and howls from ape-like tree-dwellers. The air was humid and heavy and had so many different scents that it was impossible to nail down just one.

And while he knew he should be looking for the Wanderers, he found himself being easily distracted. There were stalls set up with food and drink, assorted produce, livestock and animal skins; weapons and armor and glass treasures. He stopped to buy himself a piece of meat pie with the gold he found at the campsite, and stood examining small daggers with jeweled hilts.

He happened to stop at a small shop, run by a water sprite, only to feel a cold chill up his spine when he saw wind chimes made from vampire teeth.

Mordichai felt a bubble of anger start within him. There were dozens of teeth, the roots still connected, some were even stained red, all bound with string and hanging together so they clinked together in the wind.

“Like what you see?” The sprite asked as he stepped closer.

A growl started in his chest and Mordichai forced himself back before he did something stupid. “No.” 

He tossed the remains of his food to a flock of crows and stomped away, his wings opening and closing in irritation. Such a thing had never bothered him before, he wouldn’t have looked twice at such decoration. But he knew that vampire’s teeth didn’t grow back once harvested, and thinking of Cinder without his fangs, his main weapon of defense and what he needed to feed…

“You look like a demon who knows what he wants.”

Mordichai looked up. To his left was a group of carts and a stall set up. And his luck had never been so on-point: it was the Wanderers, and one was talking straight to him.

He folded his wings and walked over. “And what do you think I want?” he asked casually. She seemed to be the only one here, unless the others were resting in the wagons. Large horned oxen were tied nearby, eating from piles of grass and hay. 

“Treasure,” the wingless fey said with a grin. She was dressed rather scantily, but it was a good way to catch a passerbyer’s attention. Normally Mordichai would have zeroed in on her gold-covered breasts and neck immediately, but today he spared them barely a glance. 

“What treasure do you have?” He asked.

“What are you looking for?” She asked sweetly.

He pretended to think about it. “A magic scroll. One that will get me anywhere.”

“Anywhere, huh? I don’t think any enchantment has that kind of power Shadow demon. Why don’t you give me a place and I’ll find what you need?” she suggested as she leaned on the counter.

Mordichai looked around before he leaned close and whispered, “I heard there’s a spell that can get you into King Aaliern’s treasure vault.”

Her smile disappeared and she stepped back. “We don’t have such a thing.”

“Are you sure?” He asked as he opened his wings to hide them from anyone passing by. “Because I heard it had already been done once. And that the Wanderers were involved, and that those very Wanderers had set up in the Shadow’s Horn market to sell their goods or offer their services. So, are you going to continue to lie to me?”

The fey was trying to look for someone, but the demon’s wings were too big. She frowned at him. “I won’t tell you anything. My friends will—“ her threat ended in a gag as Mordichai grabbed her by the throat.

He pulled her over the counter and held her up. “I can trace us away and question you, or you can help me now.”

She hissed and coughed. “Fuck you—!”

“This doesn’t have to get bloody,” he reminded her patiently as he closed his wings around them. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a broken iron arrow. “Just tell me what I need to know and I’ll let you go. You have my word.”

“I don’t know who it was—“ she growled as he loosened his grip enough for her to speak. When he threatened her with the iron arrow, she paled. “It was a dark fey! He hired us to give it to a pair of treasure hunters.”

Mordichai frowned. “So you didn’t find the scroll?”

“No—we were just paid to deliver it.”

“Who was the dark fey?”

“We didn’t ask. We just did the job!” She snapped as she kicked her legs. “And on the night of payment we were attacked by some big—big fucking Inferno demon! He killed two of us and those fuckers left us to die!”

_Maddox._ “You saw this demon?” he asked. 

“From a distance. We do not trace so once the fight erupted we ran off,” she hissed. “Put the iron down! I’m talking!”

He refused to, not trusting her to not pull her own weapon when given the opportunity. “You didn’t go back?”

“What good are charred remains?” She continued to hiss. “I’m telling the truth! We did the job and we were paid.”

Mordichai wanted to shake her and yell, but isn’t that the same thing he had done? He had done the job, no questions asked. The less information known, the better. He dropped her and stepped back. “Thank you.”

The wingless fey stood up and frowned at him. “I hope the treasure you’re looking for is worth all this trouble.”

“I’m not after any treasure,” he grunted as he put the arrow away. He pulled out the rest of the gold he picked up from the campsite and tossed the coin bag to her. 

After catching it, she frowned at him curiously. Then she tapped her temple and her eyes flickered black for a moment. “You’re willing to die for something, Shadow demon. That is your treasure.”

“There isn’t,” he insisted before he turned and walked away. He paused and looked back, “If I were you, I would pack up and leave. If they find out I talked with you they’ll come for you.” And with those words he traced home.

Mordichao stood in his living room, staring down at the couch with a frown. It smelled like Cinder. He picked up the blankets and furs and buried his face in them, inhaling the soft scent of the vampire, and was filled with the smell of jasmine and moonlight. He closed his eyes.

Rationally he should back out now. This entire situation was simply too big for him. It dealt with a royal family and The Winter Crown for the godsdamn solstice! There was no treasure, no gold or reward; no fame or glory. In fact, by the end of all this head would probably be on a pike outside Castle Ironborn’s walls.

“Fuck—“ he growled. He needed to contact Cinder, but there was no way how. He couldn’t go to Castle Ironborn, he couldn’t text or call him. And who was to say the halfbreed would even come back to him? What if he continued on his own and never got back into contact with Mordichai again? Or maybe he was already in chains or dead.

It shouldn’t bother him.

It absolutely should not.

…

“The king requested he not be disturbed.”

It was the third time Cinder had asked to talk to Aaliern and the third time he had been denied. Hours earlier he and Bram had stopped at the king’s study only to be turned away by guards. Now the king was closed up in his treasure vault with his mages, no doubt trying to find the location of the crown.

Apparently a messenger had arrived from His Majesty earlier that day to check on the plans for festivities and had been shocked to see that nothing was being done. Mel and their older sister, Amara, had defused the situation by convincing the messenger that they were keeping all their plans a secret until the actual visit and celebration and that everything would be ready by the end of the week. Afterwards King Aaliern had called upon his advisors and mages to demand updates on the hunt and had started to threaten to remove heads.

Cinder stared at the royal guards, his teeth clenched and his eyes flickering white. But he couldn’t move them, and they wouldn’t summon his father for him. If he tried to fight them it would spill unnecessary blood and only get him into deeper trouble with his father who was already on the warpath.

He finally gave up and walked away. He was on his way to Bram’s room when he stopped, turned on his heel, and headed up to the East Wing of the castle.

He stopped in front of a large set of doors and knocked. A moment later his sister opened the door. Her mouth was open like she was going to bite off the head of whoever disturbed her, but her expression quickly changed to joy. “Cinder!”

The door creaked as it opened enough for him to step inside. “Hey Mel.”

“My, your aura is awful,” said a soft voice from across the room.

Cinder turned around. Sitting on a pillow on the floor was Cierce. Even though they were twins, Mel and Cierce did not look much alike. They share similar facial features and eye color, but Cierce’s hair was as pale as snow and long. She also held no mean bone in her body and spent most of her time in meditation or making medicines.

“You always say that to me,” he said as he crossed the room to greet her.

“You’re lighting up now,” Cierce said as she raised her arms for a hug, then dragged him down into the pillow heap. “I missed you when you were here last.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he said as he straightened up. Mel sat with them, drinking a mug of herbal tea. “I was in a hurry.”

“Father often causes you to hurry out of here.”

“That he does,” Cinder agreed. 

“I heard you were with Bram,” Mel said. “I’m guessing by your grim appearance you aren’t having any luck?”

“Depends on what you call luck,” he muttered as he shoved his hand in his pocket and gripped the warm, summoning stone.

“Oh—!” Cierce gasped. “Your aura—“

He let it go and pulled his hand out. “Give my aura a rest, sister. It’s always going to be fucked up because of my mixed blood.”

“You’re aura is fucked up because you’re an unstable mess half the time,” Mel said as she sipped her tea. “You’re either fucking everyone you see, partying nonstop, or taking dangerous jobs from father.”

“I don’t have a choice on that last one,” he said defensively, “and don’t you shame me. I like to have fun.”

Cierce clicked her tongue. “She’s jealous because she can’t go out and have reckless fun. What’s in your pocket?”

“Nothing,” Cinder replied grumpily. “I didn’t come here for this.”

“Why are you here then?” Mel asked.

“I… I have a suspicion about who stole the crown.”

“Who??” The twins asked together.

“Okay, it’s not a particular person, but I think it was someone… _inside_ Castle Ironborn.”

Mel’s wings buzzed loudly. “Cinder. What did you find?”

He inhaled. “A magic scroll was used to trace the thieves into the vault. That kind of spell could only have been made by someone inside Castle Ironborn. Someone who knows father better than we even do.”

“That’s a huge accusation, brother,” Cierce said worriedly.

“And you went to _Bram_ with this information?” Mel asked with an annoyed frown.

“I didn’t want to involve you,” Cinder said as he looked away.

“Brother, you know that I’m not a weak little girl anymore, right?” she asked as she reaching over to tuck Cinder’s hair behind his ear.

“You were never weak, even as a child.”

“Exactly. So stop looking at me like you must protect me,” Mel chastised gently.

“What about me?” Cierce asked.

Mel gave her sister a look before turning back to Cinder. “Okay, Cin. We’re going to wait until father is in a better mood, and I’ll go with you to tell him this information. If he takes it badly maybe I can calm him.”

“Are you so worried that he’ll chop off my head then and there?” Cinder asked.

“I am,” Mel said with a sad frown. “But I won’t let him.”

“Do you know how much trouble you will get into?” Cinder asked. “You remember what happened to Bram when we were small.”

The story was known between the siblings, but not those outside the castle walls. In a fit of anger King Aaliern had ordered a still mortal Cinder, who was barely more than a child, to be whipped with iron after he had done something wrong. Bram has interfered, trying to stop his father’s hand, and as punishment he had been whipped as well. It had torn a rift open between the two, as Bram hated Cinder for the scars on his back, and had worked as a lesson to their siblings: leave Cinder to his punishments and don't get attached to him as the king never stopped threatening to burn him.

Only Mel and Cierce has ever defied that lesson, but Cinder had always done everything in his power keep his younger sisters out of danger. Over the years that had proven difficult with Mel’s love for battle, but that was her choice. As long as she didn’t step between him and father she would be safe from the King’s punishments.

Cinder reached into his pocket again. “I should go get some rest,” he said as he stood from the pillow pile. “When father is free will you come and tell me? Don’t you dare do this on your own, _Mel_.”

She blinked up at him with an over-exaggerated innocence. “You think I would do that?”

“Of course I do,” he said.

Cierce laughed softly. “We promise to come and tell you first, brother. Now please, go and rest. Maybe take a bath.”

He promised to do so and left the room. Instead of walking he chose to instead trace back to his bedroom to avoid running into any more guards and their scowls. First he called the maid to bring him blood, and then he started a fire in the hearth and lit a couple of candles. He pulled a chaise lounge over in front of the fireplace and sat down with a old smelling blanket.

Cinder knew that he should be stressing over the shitstorm he was going to bring down upon himself, but instead he was sitting with the summoning stone in his palm, trying to figure out the truth behind it.

Mordichai had to know there was no treasure by this point. No glory or fame. Probably only death.

Mordichai saying this was for Jake’s sake was a pile of bullshit. He didn’t doubt that the Shadow demon would protect the fey, but to go this far out of his way for him? Absolutely not.

So why had Mordichai done this? He wanted more than anything to call the demon. To trace back to The Vale and demand answers from him. But he couldn’t leave yet, not even for a few minutes. He had to trust that his sister would come and get him when their father was available, and he had to tell him what he knew, no matter how much it scared him.

After the maid had brought his blood, and he was curled up drinking it, he found himself daydreaming of the demon’s blood; wishing he had his fangs in the demon’s neck. He closed his eyes as he drank his stale, dull blood that was obviously from livestock, and tried to imagine the demon’s hot, magic-rich blood instead.

But when imagining the demon he couldn’t stop the moment in the shower from popping up in his mind. Mordichai had had the opportunity to fuck him; Cinder had been drunk and desperate, but the demon hadn’t taken advantage of him. He also hadn’t shoved him away in disgust, and he hadn’t beaten or attacked him. He’d… been kind. 

A good alpha.

Never in his life had Cinder imagined that Mordichai was a good alpha. But he found himself thinking… differently. Maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he was just really fucking stressed.

If he traced into Mordichai’s bed, naked and sober, would the demon reject him again? 

Cinder smirked and shook his head. Of course he would.

He set the mug aside and laid back with a sigh. He closed his eyes and went back to that moment in the kitchen. It was fuzzy but he remembered those lips, that tongue and the demon’s fangs. He had licked those beautiful horns.

Cinder grunted and wiggled his trousers down so he could grasp his hardening cock. He imagined the demon over him, wings open and eyes burning with hellfire. Imagined that heavy cock being shoved into his ass; the demon mounting him and taking him rough and fast. Maybe Mordichai was a biter and a growler, or maybe he was surprisingly tender. Cinder couldn’t remember the last time he had had tender. 

He pushed two fingers into himself, working them in and out as he stroked his cock. He used his precum to wet his fingers and then fingered himself deeper, a little harder. He thrust his hips and moaned.

His breath came in pants and he bit his lip hard as little whimpers escaped past his lips. His fingers weren’t even close to being as filling as a demon’s cock, but he made due. He could imagine that cock inside him, of Mordichai over him, his face close and mouth murmuring this to him. Telling him how good he felt, how he was going to fuck him all night long. He imagined the demon’s hands holding him down while he fucked him hard.

“Mordichai…” he gasped as he worked himself into a good rhythm. He continued to moan the demon’s name. When he came it was with a whimper and a shudder, cum splashing onto his stomach and over his knuckles. He dropped his hands and laid back, breathing loudly and staring at the ceiling. He felt heavy with sleep, and his limbs felt like they were being weighed down by stones. He closed his eyes and let exhaustion wash over him.

He felt… a little less stressed about the situation he was going to face later. But now a whole new slew of stress and questions was bogging him down. One especially was nagging at him, and he had no idea what to do about it.

Because he… thought he liked that fucking demon.

…

Cinder woke up to a burning sensation on his wrists. His head felt like he had been hit by a club and everything hurt. He lifted his head, trying to clear his vision, but the world was still spinning. He felt sick to his stomach and squeezed his eyes shut again as he tried to reign in his confusion. The world continued to spin and spin and his stomach turned and--

He lurched forward and vomited blood.

The burning feeling continued and he tried to move his arms, realizing too late they were suspended above his head and he was being held back by iron chains. Alarmed, his eyes opened and he sucked in a shocked breath. The world stopped spinning and everything around him became clear. He found himself pressing back against stone as his heart pounded and his breath quickened.

No. No it couldn’t be! How did he get here?

He was in The Tower. Once it had been a private garden for King Aaliern’s mother. The uppermost part of the tower had no walls, only thick columns that supported the roof. In the center was a long dried up fountain, and flower beds that were filled with the brown remains of roses and lilies. Vines that had once grown around the columns had dried up centuries ago and the bird feeders were broken and rusted.

Cinder was chained to one of these columns, his hands suspended above his head. He was facing East, and while The Frozen Lands was almost always cast in darkness, this tower was high enough to get a few minutes of sunlight before it disappeared in the clouds.

A few minutes was more than enough time to kill a vampire.

“Finally awake?”

Cinder flinched and tried to twist in the direction of the voice. “Who's there? What the fuck happened?”

“You don’t remember?” the fey named Adam answered as he stepped into sight. He was the captain of the guard and one of Bram’s earliest childhood friends. 

Cinder growled. His mouth tasted like the blood he had vomited and bile. “Obviously I don’t! I was sleeping in my room, and then I woke up here!”

The fey guard looked at him smugly. “You don’t remember attacking the Prince when he came to your room?”

“What? I didn’t attack my brother! Where is Bram? I want to talk to him!” He struggled as he yelled, and the more he moved the more the chains burned his wrists. Sickness churned inside him and he felt like vomiting again.

“The prince is in recovery,” Adam said.

Cinder ran his tongue over his teeth. “His blood isn’t in my mouth. You’re a fucking liar, Adam.”

The fey smiled. “It has been bestowed upon me to oversee your execution. As you are very well aware, King Aaliern does not deal with traitors—“

“Where is father?” Cinder demanded.

“Why, in recovery with the prince,” Adam informed him. “The king and the prince both came to visit you. Do you truly not remember? You attacked both in a fury. His highness was badly bitten, the bloodloss—“

“You fucking liar!!!” Cinder yelled. “Even on my best day I could never overtake Aaliern! Are you the one who did all this, Adam? I can’t possibly believe it because you’re not nearly that intelligent—“

A fist to his stomach shut him up. It was followed by another hit, and another, until Cinder was deadweight on the chains and bleeding from his mouth and nose.

“I wish I could stick around and watch the show,” Adam said as he grabbed Cinder by his hair and jerked his face up, “but I have more important matters to attend to. The solstice is a very important time for us Fey, as you know.”

He opened his eyes and stared at the horizon. It was still dark.

“I want my sisters… th-they would _never_ believe this—“

“The princesses are far too busy for you, leech,” Adam said as he pulled a knife from his sleeve. He twirled it once before he grabbed Cinder’s wrist and started to cut him. “I know how good you are at escaping, Cinder. But if I bleed you enough you’ll be as weak as a mortal.”

Cinder hissed in pain as cut after cut as was made, and he attempted to bite the fey, but his teeth met only air as Adam traced away. Desperate to stall, he growled, “At least tell me where the crown is.”

Adam smirked. “Who says I had it?”

“But you—all this, isn’t it to overthrow the king? You’re not very kingly material. Your bloodline is more commoner than mine—“ Cinder spat.

“Shut up,” Adam barked as he hit Cinder across the mouth again. He then grabbed his jaw and forced his mouth open. “Maybe I’ll harvest those pretty teeth of yours—“

Cinder’s sea-green eyes flickered white with warning, but he was growing weaker and colder, and he couldn’t even move his head enough to break the guard’s hold. Blood ran down his arms and soaked his clothing before puddling on the ground at his feet. 

Adam searched his pockets but couldn’t find anything that would work to pop out the vampire’s teeth. He clicked his tongue. “I guess you can burn with them. I’ll return for your ashes,” he said as he stroked his hand over Cinder’s cheek. “It’s a blessed day in the kingdom indeed to know that you’re finally going to be taken care of. Our King should have burned you along with your filthy mother all those years ago. After today, no one will even remember you.”

Cinder’s head dropped as he was released, his chin hitting his chest. He growled weakly. “Adam… I’ll kill you for this…”

Adam patted the vampire on the head once. “You’re talented, leech, but I’ve watched you grow up. When the sun hits you, you’re going to light up like the bonfires on the solstice.”

And he walked away, leaving Cinder gasping and shaking, only able to watch as the horizon changed colors.


	6. The Summoning

Mordichai laid down and tried to rest, but a sickening feeling had settled in the pit of his stomach and wouldn’t go away, no matter what he did to distract himself. He found himself pacing around the house, he went outside to stretch his wings and fly, but nothing made him feel better. As time passed the feeling in his stomach had hardened into dread and he felt like clawing his skin off. So instead of doing something stupid, he’d dropped down into bed and smothered his face with a pillow.

Shadow demons did have destined mates, but unlike many species these mates were not miraculously found through sex, blood drinking, biting, or scent. In a way, they chose their mate; they “imprinted” on them and after sex, if the bond was real, they would be tied together. If it wasn’t a true bond, then that imprint would fade away and leave the demon to move on to another potential mate. And, on the rare occasion, a mated pair who had completed the bond could even sever it and split up. They were one of the few species that weren’t forced by Fate to stay together forever.

Finding a mate was something Mordichai had never put any thought into. Why would he want to be tied to another person? He had alpha instincts but they had always been buried, and truth be told, he had never _felt_ like that much of an alpha. He didn’t have the aggression, blood-thirst, or need to hunt and kill like a lot of others, in a lot of ways he was more of a large beta demon. He had always been more laid back. He did his jobs, he occasionally went to a pub to meet friends or find someone to fuck, but overall he had been felt pretty content with being in his own.

This didn’t mean he didn’t feel lonely. That he didn’t entertain daydreams of having a mate or a harem. He just wanted security and respect. And lots of gold. 

Which is usually what won security and respect.

Growing up an orphan in The Frozen Lands had given Mordichai none of these things. No one respected him, no one had ever loved him, and he had never had anything for himself. He had fought for everything he ever had, he had worked and struggled and killed for what he wanted. Upon ascension he had left the frozen hell behind and gone, ironically, to another hell just as cold and frozen, but here no one knew him. He made a name for himself, he built a home, he had started a name for himself by being the demon he could find anything. He made connections and earned favors and met Otherkin.

But he never felt satisfied.

The hunt for the Casuceus Wand in Chartres was supposed to change all that. However, if he was being completely honest with himself, maybe it had been a way to completely disappear forever or even die.

Mordichai opened his eyes and was staring at the ceiling when a new sensation overcame him; it was like an alarm was going off in his head, and he could feel magic snap through him.

He was being summoned!

Quickly he stood up as glowing red ropes appeared across his skin, wrapping around him like a snake. It was impossible for Mordichai to trace to a place he had never been, but with the spell he could be forcibly summoned. It hurt like a bitch but if it meant helping Cinder, the pain was worth it.

The glowing red ropes sizzled and dug into his skin, fusing with his magic, and abruptly he was being lurched through nothing and dropped into a cold, hard floor.

He growled, pressing his palm to his head as he slowly sat up, closing his wings around himself as he regained some composure. His head was spinning and his ears ringing. When they cleared up he heard feminine voices.

“—a Shadow demon?”

Mordichai stood and took a quick look around before he turned to the source of the voices. The room was dark and smelled musty, everything was dusty and the candles unlit. Standing near a low-burning hearth were two dark fey females. They looked very similar but also drastically different.

One was wearing a soft dress and had long pale hair, the other was wearing leather armor and was holding a golden sword. Both wore royal circlets.

The one in the dress was holding his shattered summoning stone in her palm. Blood dripped from her fingers.

Mordichai opened his wings. “Where is Cinder?” He looked around again. He was obviously in a palace bedroom, and Cinder’s scent was all over it. He realized when looking back at the females that this was Castle Ironborn.

He growled. “Did you hurt him?”

The princess with the pale hair frowned at him. “You think _we_ hurt our brother?”

“Brother? What?” Mordichai repeated, dumbfounded.

The one holding the sword snapped, “We don’t have time for this! Cinder had your summoning stone in his possession. Does this mean you owe him a debt?”

He hadn’t given the stone to the vampire for that reason, but he nodded anyway. The fey with the pale hair was staring at him in a way that made him uncomfortable, like she was looking _into_ him. He raised his wings slightly and her deep purple wings did the same.

“Then get over here,” the other snapped as she walked over a window and started to rip down the curtains. “It’s almost dawn.”

The darkness outside would make anyone else argue, but Mordichai knew in The Frozen Lands and how the clouds and fog blocked the sun save for high above. He growled. “What’s going on?”

The fey opened the window and her dark wings buzzed loudly. “There is a tower above the clouds. You need to get there immediately! Stay in the fog or the tower guards will see you. Why are you still standing there!? Go! He needs help _right now!”_

He had so many questions but it was clear from the female’s frantic words and body language that Cinder was in danger. He took one last look at them, especially the strange one with pale hair, before launching out the window.

“Keep him safe!” The one with the pale hair yelled. 

His wings caught an updraft and he let it carry him up into the fog. He circled up and up and up until he broke through the clouds and was hovering in the first peak of dawn’s light. The sky here was purple and orange mixed with a smear of gold and soft pinks. The clouds were temporarily painted pastel and he could feel actual warmth on his skin.

Mordichai flapped his wings and turned away from the horizon and saw a tower poking up through the clouds. Quickly he flew towards it, heart pounding loudly and wings fighting to get him there before the sun rose above the clouds. The wind here was rough and he had to fight against as he spiraled down toward the tower--

He landed roughly, having to maneuver around large columns and nearly crashed into an old, ruined fountain. He grunted, rubbing his hand over one horn which had busted through a marble statue of a fey maiden. The wind howled around him and whipped up old, dead flowers and the heavy scent of blood. 

However, as heavy as that scent was, it was nothing compared to the scent of fear that threatened to overwhelm him. Mordichai felt that feeling of dread return from earlier. He felt the cold, and he could feel the fear of the person who was throwing off the scent. He followed it through the long abandoned garden, knowing who it was but refusing to believe that the halfbreed could ever smell like this, until he—

“Cinder—“ the words caught in his throat as he choked on a growl. The vampire/fey halfbreed was hanging limp by his wrists which were bound to one of the columns. Cinder was soaked in his own blood, his skin now a sick, ash gray. When Mordichai got closer he saw more damage: burned wrists from the iron chains, multiple slashes from a knife, and bruises all over his pale skin.

Mordichai felt equally mortified and furious, but he had no time for either emotion as he could feel light against his back. With one squeeze he shattered the chains, causing Cinder to fall limp into his arms.

He halfbreed didn’t even make a noise.

Mordichai spared no glimpse at the rising sun, tracing straight to his home in The Vale. He dropped to his knees, Cinder in his arms, and stared at his pale, hollow face.

“You better not be dead,” he said as he shook the limp body. “Cinder! Wake up! Cinder!”

There was no response; no whimper or cry, no tears like last time. The young halfbreed looked like a corpse in his arms.

Mordichai knew what the vampire needed, and without hesitation he bit his own wrist, and as blood ran from the wound, pressed it against Cinder’s mouth.

“Come on,” he growled as he used his free hand to hold Cinder’s head back, forcing the blood to fill his mouth and pour down his throat. “Come on, Cinder, drink it—“

Blood started to overflow from the vampire’s mouth, smearing over his pale skin as it dripped down onto the floor.

“Swallow it—“ he snarled as he shook the vampire. He did everything he could think of to wake the vampire, from shaking him to pulling his hair, until finally the vampire’s Adam’s Apple bobbed and he swallowed. Mordichai felt his lips close over the open cut and fangs sank into his wrist as the vampire started to drink.

Mordichai’s wings closed around them and he sagged with relief. He held the vampire against his chest as Cinder began to shake.

“Drink more,” he encouraged gently. “I have plenty…”

One pale hand locked onto his wrist to keep it in place as Cinder actively swallowed mouthfuls of blood. Mordichai could feel the vampire starting to warm, saw his skin pinken and his bruises heal. He was becoming whole and alive again in his arms and Mordichai couldn’t look away.

Finally Cinder’s grip lessened and his head rolled to the side, his eyes still closed. But he was alive, and he was okay. Mordichai exhaled shakily and stood up carefully, trying not to jostle the sleeping vampire too much, and carried him through the house to his bedroom.

He laid Cinder down in the middle of the large bed. Before he covered him with blankets, he stripped the vampire of his filthy clothing and boots and cleaned the blood off his face. Then he covered him with many heavy blankets, and started a fire in the corner hearth, before going to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

He thought about tracing back to Castle Ironborn and finding Cinder’s supposed sisters, but if someone had ordered him to be killed and then found him gone, he imagined the castle would be locked down tighter than it ever was before. He would have to ask Cinder about it once he woke up. 

But five hours later and the vampire hadn’t moved much, only curled into a ball while gripping one of Mordichai’s pillows. Mordichai sat on the edge of the large bed, looking down at the halfbreed. Those dark fey had absolutely been part of the royal family, and they had called Cinder their brother. He supposed it was possible… Cinder was part-dark fey, and the King was a known whore… but the King has also threatened to kill him if he failed to find the Winter Crown. Would the King do this to his own son? Knowing Aaliern, he would. And the solstice was less than a week now, he was sure the fey was growing desperate.

The Winter King wasn’t an actual king to the fey, he was more like a god, but the title of Winter King had stuck around from the old days, before there were so many different kingdoms and factions. If he arrived in The Frozen Lands only to find that his crown was not completed, and the celebrations were not in place, then he would certainly view it as treason.

Maybe the king had done this to Cinder because he hadn’t found the crown yet? 

Mordichai’s growl filled the bedroom, causing Cinder to stir. He quieted, leaning over the halfbreed, when his pale eyes popped open.

Cinder’s eyes grew huge and then he sat upright with a jolt.

Mordichai leaned back and stayed quiet, watching as Cinder pulled himself together. He was looking for injuries but instead found himself completely healed. He had pulled the blankets up against him and was looking around the room, eyes darting to each corner of the room, the fireplace, the artwork on the walls, and then they landed on the Shadow demon.

“I-I was in that tower,” he said shakily. “How am I here?”

“Your… your sister summoned me,” Mordichai explained quietly. Cinder looked ready to bolt, or breakdown. He was exhausted and broken. There was a heaviness around him, and Mordichai could feel it in his bones.

“My sister?” He repeated shakily.

“Yes. A female fey with long pale hair and a royal circlet. She had the summoning stone and in, I’m guessing, your room in the castle. There was another woman with her, her hair was different and she carried a golden sword. She told me where to find you.” He cocked his head as Cinder’s face, which had paled. “Are you okay?”

“I should go back,” he said as he shoved the blankets away. “I need to talk to--”

“I can’t let you,” he quickly said.

Cinder stared at him. “My sisters—“

“Said for me to keep you safe,” he interrupted as he opened his wings. 

Cinder stared at him. “You don’t have to. I can--I can take care of myself.”

“Maybe I want to help you.”

Cinder felt his eyes fill with tears and hated himself for it. He pulled his shoulders up and looked away, not wanting the demon to see him so weak, and pulled the blankets back up over himself.

“Who did that to you, Cinder? Was it… your father?” Mordichai asked quietly.

He exhaled shakily. “No. It was Adam. He’s captain of the guard.”

The way Cinder’s voice was shaking made Mordichai’s heart hurt. He slowly moved closer. “Why?”

“He set me up. He said I attacked my father and brother. I-I didn’t. The blood I drank must have been drugged,” he said. The shadow of the demon’s wing covered him as it extended behind him. Like a shield.

It should have irritated him. He had always taken care of himself, and he had always been on his own. He didn’t need an alpha to step up and protect him like he was weak. He wasn’t weak, he wasn’t… 

But Mordichai had saved his life so many times just this week and hadn’t… asked for anything. Sure he had demanded treasure and riches but Cinder wondered if he had meant it, because now he knew there was nothing to gain and—

“—Cinder? Why would he do that?”

“Um—“ he said with a jump, “I don’t know.”

Mordichai wanted to press him for more information, but Cinder was shaking and he smelled awful. It wasn’t the dried blood and bile that smelled bad either, it was the very distinct scent of _fear, distress,_ and vulnerability that was awakening Mordichai’s alpha instincts.

And they were _loud._

”Let me show you where the shower is,” Mordichai said as he stood. “And I’ll get you something to wear.”

Cinder looked up as the demon walked around the bed and offered him his hand. The demon’s normal scent of smoky cedar was there, but the comforting scent of bergamot was mixing with it. Cinder took a calming breath before he took the demon’s hand.

Mordichai helped the halfbreed stand and lead him to the bathroom. After Cinder had stepped into the shower he went to find him something to wear.

Unfortunately all his shirts were made to fit his wings, which mean they all had massive holes in the back. However he did have a few shirts stashed from when he wore his glamour to mix with humans. He pulled out a blue sweater with “MANHATTAN” written across the chest. It would be far too large for Cinder, but it was the best thing he had right now. He took a moment to also change the bed sheets because he planned on offering the bed to Cinder.

The shower was still running when he walked back into the bathroom. “I found you something to wear,” he said as he set it on the counter by the sink.

The water turned off and after a moment the door slid open. Cinder was ringing water from his hair as he stepped out. He looked better; his skin was damp and flushed from the hot water and all the blood that had been on his skin was washed away. He regained some color to his face.

But he still smelled… vulnerable.

“Is there anything you need?” Mordichai asked as Cinder toweled off and pulled on the sweatshirt. It hung off one shoulder and down his thighs.

Cinder looked at him. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

Mordichai’s wings fidgeted. “I don’t have a lot of food here, so I’m going to make a quick trip to the market. Everything here is warded, so you’ll be safe. I’ll return quickly.”

…

The Shadow demon disappeared in a flash of smoke and shadow and took with him the comforting scent he had been giving off. Cinder found himself burying his nose in the sweatshirt and inhaling deep. He wasn’t sure why this alpha’s scent was so comforting to him. He had spent lots of time with other alphas, and while he had always liked how they smelled, something about this demon’s was different. 

He found his way to the den and sat down on the plush rug in front of the fireplace. As his hair dried he tried to process what had happened.

Cierce has summoned Mordichai to save him, so the demon absolutely knew who he was now. But that wasn’t a problem, not anymore. The problem was that Adam had been working with someone to steal the Winter Crown, frame him, and attack his brother and father. And he knew Adam was working with someone because that man was not at all smart enough to pull this off. Was it another kingdom? Maddox had said the fey in the field had been wearing a royal circlet. Or was it possibly one of his other brothers?

No. They wanted nothing to do with the crown or kingdom. The only one currently in line for ruling was Bram and he was apparently injured and in recovery.

Cinder rubbed his head. The more he thought about it, the more his brain hurt. He needed to talk to his sisters; maybe they knew what was going on? Obviously they knew he was innocent if they sent Mordichai to save him.

He rubbed at the tears welling up in his eyes and cursed under his breath. He hadn’t felt so broken in years. But this week had been one of the worst in his life and he was completely alone.

He touched the sweatshirt. Or was he alone? Mordichai was still here…

Cinder got up after his hair had dried sufficiently and moved to the sofa. He covered up with a blanket and combed out his hair with his fingers before braiding it.

He heard a _whoosh_ and thump from the kitchen and assumed Mordichai was back. This was verified a second later when the demon walked into the room carrying a bag. 

“Here.”

“You brought me food?” He asked as he took the bag of take-out from him.

“I know you don’t only drink blood,” Mordichai said with a shrug.

“Speaking of blood…” Cinder said quietly as he nervously fiddled with the paper bag, “thank you for saving me again. For… you didn’t have to… I would have been fine with less.”

Mordichai’s eyes flickered red. “You needed it. And I… I wanted to.”

“Why?” He asked.

Mordichai took a deep breath. Cinder’s scent was better. He wasn’t feeling as afraid, but he was still fragile. He answered, “Because I wanted to.”

Knowing he wasn’t going to get any other answer Cinder turned his attention to the bag of take out. Inside was a bowl of butter chicken and vegetarian samosas. He looked up in surprise. “How did you know I liked Indian food?”

Mordichai blinked in surprise. “I… I didn’t. I thought you might want comfort food and this is where I always get food when I’m feeling down.” One of the few things he could tolerate about the mortal world was their spicy food.

Cinder felt his cheeks warm. He pulled out silverware and napkins. “Do you want some?” He asked.

“Oh! No, I picked up some for me, too,” he said as he hitched his thumb back in the direction of the kitchen.

“Do you want to sit with me?” Cinder then asked as he pried the plastic lids open on the takeout containers.

“Sure—sure, I can,” he replied, voice somewhat pitched in surprise, before he turned to get his bag from the kitchen. He had also picked up an assortment of produce and sweets, not sure yet what Cinder liked to eat, but he felt determined to make sure he had an assortment of options for the halfbreed. A few seconds later and he was sitting down on the other end of the sofa with Cinder, who had already started to eat.

He had to stop a pleased rumble from sounding in his chest, and turned his attention to his meal so he didn’t just sit and stare creepily. 

Cinder ate quietly, but his thoughts were anything but. If he didn’t know better he would say Mordichai was trying to court him. Not that anyone had ever tried to actually _court_ him. Courting went way beyond the usual attention he recieved from other alphas, which was usually just a little bit of foreplay, some blood, and then sex. But what Mordichai was doing was very classic alpha behavior and if Cinder was an omega he would probably be wet right now.

_Or maybe I’m just tired and looking way too hard into this,_ he thought to himself. _Maybe he still thinks he can get a reward when this is all over? Maybe he’s just… being nice?_

He glanced at the Shadow demon between bites. Finally he put the plate down and said, “Mordichai?”

The demon turned to him. “Yes?”

“I want to apologize for lying to you. And… um, just in case you hadn’t figured it out, there’s no prize at the end of all this. No treasure, no riches. There never was.” He stared at the fireplace as he spoke, fearing the demon’s reaction.

He cocked his head. “I know, Cinder.”

“I just didn’t want you to help me and get mad when… when there’s nothing to win at the end of it all,” he explained as he looked at him, surprised by his calm response.

“I won’t,” he promised. “I’m not expecting any prize or reward.”

“Then why are you still helping me?” He asked nervously.

Mordichai stared at him, red eyes glowing. “Because I want to, Cinder. I want to help you.”

“I thought you disliked me?” He couldn’t help but taunt.

“Not anymore.”

It felt like all the air was sucked out of the room and Cinder struggled for a breath or a word. Mordichai had gone back to eating but Cinder could only push food around with his fork. 

“Oh,” Mordichai said, starting Cinder enough that he jumped, “I have some new information for you. After you left I went through the campsite for more clues.”

Cinder set his mostly empty dishes to the side. “What did you find?”

“Wanderers were hired to deliver the scroll to Teak and Ruthen,” he said. “The one I interrogated didn’t know who the hiring fey were, or how they got the scroll. They just did the job.”

“Did this happen before or after Maddox found the group in The Vale?” 

“After. The Wanderer I spoke to said Maddox interrupted them when they were being paid. I know Teak and Ruthen didn’t come to me right away, they inquired with others first,” he said. “I was their last resort.”

“This is such a fucking mess,” Cinder grumbled. “Is it selfish that I want to hide somewhere until it’s all over? Just let the shit hit the fan and just… just hide?”

“No, it’s not selfish,” Mordichai said gently. “You could always stay here.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “No one would find you. Only Maddox knows you might be here and he isn’t talking to anyone. You could… just hide out here. For as long as you wanted.”

“And you?” Cinder asked.

“I would stay if you wanted me to.”

Cinder stared at the demon in surprise. It was a tempting offer. Hide out here with a demon was turning out to be less and less of the stupid, selfish alpha he had always pegged him for, and was becoming more and more of a good, attentive, and surprisingly intelligent alpha.

“I’m not going to lie,” Cinder said, “I am tempted to do just that.”

“But you can’t. Because this is your family.”

He sighed heavily. “Yes.”

“Because you’re a prince.”

“I’m a bastard,” he snapped a bit harsher than he meant to. He squeezed his hands together and took a deep breath to calm himself; he let the heavy scent of cedar and bergamot fill him. “Trust me, I’m no prince in that kingdom. I’m just my father’s hunting dog. To him, that’s all I’ve ever been good for.”

Mordichai frowned. “Is it wrong to say that I’m disappointed that you _didn’t_ try to kill him?”

He laughed. “I’ve dreamed about it many times,” he said. “But I never wanted to be in the middle of that kind of shitshow. It’s always been easier to just… live my life the way I want and go to him when he summons me.”

“How has that worked for you?”

He exhaled. “It’s not so bad. I do whatever I want. I’m the person I want to be.”

“But… no one knows who you are. You’re always having to hide that part of yourself.”

“Well, you know it all, now.”

“You needn’t worry, I don’t plan on telling anyone.”

“I’m not worried,” Cinder confessed. “I believe you. And besides, why would you want to get in the middle of all that shit?”

He smiled. “I would rather avoid it, true, but that’s not why.”

“Why then?”

Mordichai thought for a moment, then looked at the vampire. “Because I feel like… we’ve built some trust between us, and I would hate to lose it.”

“You didn’t give me that summoning stone for Jake’s sake, did you?” Cinder asked quietly.

“No.”

He swallowed hard. “Mordichai…”

The demon suddenly stood. “I changed the sheets on the bed, so they’re clean now. If you’re still tired you can go and rest. I’ll crash on the sofa.”

Cinder frowned somewhat worriedly, but he was too tired to argue. He wanted to invite Mordichai into bed with him, but seduction sounded even more exhausting and he didn’t want to even think about being rejected at this time. Everything hurt enough as it was, there was no reason to make it worse.

But before he left the room, he gathered some nerves and turned back and said, “It’s a big bed. We can probably share without fighting over the covers.”

And he swore that that damn demon actually blushed before Cinder stepped through the door.

The large hearth in the corner used black crystals to burn, making the room incredibly warm and comfortable. He blew out the candles on the nightstand and crawled into bed.

The blankets were fresh and clean, smelling like the demon and lavender detergent. Cinder curled up with a large pillow and let the gentle ambiance lull him into relaxing. He never thought he would have been comfortable enough around the Shadow demon to sleep in his bed, and to take food from him without the fear of being poisoned. That he would feel protected and safe. 

It had to be because he was tired. Probably because he was full of the demon’s blood and it was running hot through his veins. Maybe because Mordichai had brought him delicious food.

He was… a good alpha. Any omega would be lucky to have him.

…

Mordichai cleaned up their meals, put away the groceries he had picked up, and then sat down to check his phone. He had some text messages from associates asking if he knew where something was, how to acquire something, and if he was available for a hunt. He answered the texts that he could, before apologizing to the rest. He was busy right now and didn’t have time for any side-jobs.

Then he traced outside and called Rax.

“Mordichai.”

He exhaled and paced back and forth in front of the house. “Hey. I uh, have a question for you.”

“All right,” the Blood demon rumbled, “what is it?”

“No—first I have to apologize for not going with you when you went after that witch,” he said as he ran his hand through his hair. “That was really shitty of me. I should have gone along, and because I didn’t you were all in danger.”

There was silence, before Rax said, “I’m not angry at you, Mordichai.”

“I know, but I wanted to apologize anyway,” he said quickly. “We’re friends and… I should have stood with you.”

Another long pause before Rax said, “Not to sound ungrateful, but are you okay?”

Mordichai laughed. “I’ve just been thinking a lot, you know. Also, um, when you met Jake… how did you know he was the one?”

Rax laughed. “ _Oh,_ is this what all this is about?”

“Huh?”

“Did you find a mate?” The Blood demon teased.

“I— _no_ ,” he vehemently denied while his heart started to pound. “No, no. I was just curious. Just—you know what, forget it.”

“No, no,” Rax laughed, “I will tell you. You’re aware how Blood demons find their fated mate, but with Jake, I felt something pulling at me even before then. An ache in my chest.”

Mordichai rubbed his knuckles over his heart. “Yeah?”

“And a surge of my instinct,” Rax continued. “Not to mention the immediate attraction. He was cute, funny, and just really… really great. I wanted to keep him forever even before we had sex.”

“You wanted to protect him,” Mordichai said.

“Yes.”

Mordichai looked back at the house as his heart threatened to burst through his chest. “Fuck…” he grumbled.

Rax laughed again. “Who is it?”

“Oh, I’m not telling you.”

“I seem to remember you being mad at me for not wanting to introduce you to my mate,” Rax reminded him.

“He’s not _mine_ ,” Mordichai denied. “He doesn’t even like me, I don’t think.” But maybe that wasn’t true anymore. Cinder had invited him into bed. Just to sleep, he was sure.

_The vampire did try to seduce you—while drunk._

“—dichai?”

“I need to go,” he said as he shook his wings. “Thanks Rax.”

He ended the call and traced back inside the house, just outside the open bedroom door. With a nervous flutter in his stomach he peered inside.

Cinder was asleep on the far side of the bed. Mordichai stepped quietly into the room, folding his wings back as he approached the bed. Like before the vampire was curled up with a large pillow, his face pressed into and fingers curled into it.

The bed was big, it had to be for his wings. He hesitated before finally sitting down on the other side. He pulled off his shirt, kicked off his boots, put aside his weapons and his belt. He preferred to sleep nude but the vampire might not appreciate that. And then he laid back. He tried to move around as little as possible, and his intention was to stay away from Cinder, but the more he tried to get comfortable the closer he found himself to the halfbreed. 

He gave up and stretched out on his side, which allowed his wings to partially rest on the bed and drape to the floor.

“Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

Mordichai’s eyes popped open in surprise. Cinder had rolled over and was lying nearly nose-to-nose with him.

“It’s nothing I’m not used to,” Mordichai said quietly. “There aren’t a lot of beds that can support my wings.”

Cinder hummed. He raised his hand, fingertips just hovering over the demon’s horns. Instead he touched a lock of his hair and pushed it behind his ear.

“If I try to kiss you, are you going to shove me away again?” He whispered.

“Well you’re… you’re sober this time,” Mordichai said with a gulp. Cinder had moved closer and it was then that he had noticed the vampire had taken off his shirt. He growled softly.

Cinder touched the demon’s cheek. The energy between them was loud, their connection through blood was enough that Cinder could feel their magic meld together upon contact. He tilted his head, lips hovering over the demon’s.

“Before all this went to hell, I touched myself while imagining it was you,” he breathed.

Mordichai sucked in a surprised breath. “You did?”

“I wonder if you’re anything like my fantasy,” he said as he grazed his fingertips over one horn. “Why don’t you show me?”

Gods, he wanted to, so badly, but he said, “Are you sure you want this?” _He’s feeling vulnerable and he’s been through hell._

“Think of it as payment, for constantly saving my life,” Cinder suggested as he grazed his lips over the demon’s cheek.

“You owe me nothing,” he growled, “and I especially don’t want you to use your body as payment to me. If we do this, I want it to be because it’s what we both want.” And he was wanting more and more by the second. Already he was growing hard and he could smell a spike in Cinder’s scent, it was rich and alluring and made his mouth nearly water.

“I do want,” Cinder said as he moved closer still. 

He closed the distance and Cinder surged to meet him. Their lips came together hard, Cinder’s already open and tongue licking over his lips. Mordichai growled, grabbing the vampire’s long hair as he took control of the kiss, tongue delving into the halfbreed’s mouth and fangs grazing over his lips.

Cinder submitted to the kiss, body growing hot and weak at the same time. He had stripped off his shirt after the demon had joined him, hoping to summon the nerve to seduce him in the morning, but upon smelling the demon once he was in bed it was just too much temptation for him. He didn’t want to wait. He wanted it now.

And it was looking like he made the right decision. Mordichai was an aggressive kisser, he took control and kissed hard and long until Cinder’s lips ached and he was gasping for breath. 

The demon kissed him again and again, conquering his mouth and bruising his lips. He felt like he couldn’t breath, he felt his world spinning with each deep kiss from Mordichai. Large hands roamed over his body, stroked through his hair, and tenderly touched him between his legs.

Cinder thrust into the demon’s hand, gasping into the next deep kiss. The demon’s scent was growing heavier, until it was all Cinder could smell. And the scent of an aroused alpha demon ready to mate was perhaps the most wonderful smell in the world. Cinder wanted to suffocate on his scent, he wanted it to never leave his skin. 

“Mordichai—“ he moaned when he was given the chance to breathe. The demon was scenting either side of his neck while his hand slowly pumped between his legs. “Ah—dammit demon—“

Mordichai rumbled a low laugh. “Yes, Cinder?”

“Let me roll over so you can fuck me,” he begged.

“Already? But we’re just getting started,” he said as he moved his hand up and down slowly. “Maybe I’m not done exploring your gorgeous body.”

Cinder’s hiss was cut short when Mordichai mouthed down his neck, leaving behind blossoming bruises. He mouthed over his chest, stopping to bite one nipple and tear a cry from the vampire, who arched up against the demon’s mouth.

Mordichai maneuvered himself over Cinder, and released his cock in favor of touching the rest of him. The vampire made an annoyed sound, but lay panting as Mordichai ran his hands over his body, his mouth following just behind. Cinder sat up to kiss him and Mordichai ran his hand up the smaller immortal’s back.

His hand slid over rough skin. He had seen the scars before, when he had undressed Cinder, and hadn’t thought too much about them. Now, however, the feeling of them under his fingertips made him stop. “How did you get these?” he asked as he pressed his lips to the vampire’s neck.

Cinder tensed up. “If you were trying to kill the mood, congratulations, you did it,” he grumbled as he leaned back to look at the demon’s face. “All I wanted was some comfort sex and you had to bring up my father.”

“Sorry,” Mordichai said as he stroked his hand up and down his back. “That wasn’t my intent. I just… I can’t get the memory of you out of my mind, of you hanging in that tower, left to burn. You were so… what they _did_ to you…”

Mordichai’s eyes were glowing bright and his wings had curled around the two of them. Cinder wondered if the demon knew what he was doing. Darkness closed around them and shadows curled from the demon’s grey skin. He reached up and cupped Mordichai’s face. “But I’m okay now.”

“You wouldn’t have been,” he growled. “Had I not given you that stone, you would be dead right now.”

Darkness engulfed the bedroom and Cinder could only see the glow of Mordichai’s eyes. He stroked his hands over the demon’s horns and then cupped the back of his head, pulling him closer and leaning forward to kiss him. “I have a lot to thank you for. I really don’t… deserve anything you’ve done for me. I treated you like absolute shit.”

The shadows suddenly started to sink back into the demon’s wings and the light from the hearth softly lit the bedroom once again. Mordichai shifted uncomfortably and frowned. “I treated you just as bad, Cinder.”

“We’re past that now,” Cinder said as he again cupped the demon’s face. “And I don’t want to think about the horrible things that my father did to me right now. I just want to be here with you. I want to… be safe.”

Mordichai nodded and leaned down to kiss the vampire’s neck. “I’ll keep you safe.”

_He really is a good alpha,_ Cinder thought as the demon urged him back onto the bed and leaned over him, his expression soft. _He’ll make someone very happy someday._ He wasn’t in the mood to fuck anymore, and Mordichai picked up on it, as his attentions had gone from turning him on, to relaxing him. His scent was warm and comforting, and his lips were soft as they trailed down his neck and along his shoulder. 

Mordichai purred deep in his chest, his large hands settling on Cinder’s hips, thumbs stroking over his skin. He took the time to look at him, really look. He looked past the vampire’s beautiful sea-green eyes and pouty lips, his short pointed ears and sharp chin. He nuzzled his hair, soft and long, blond like his sister’s with darker roots. The dark circles under his eyes showed how tired he was, there were stress lines on his forehead, because he never stopped frowning and was always thinking, always planning, always trying to figure out a way out of whatever situation his father put him into. Mordichai remembered the last time he had gone up against the halfbreed, in a hunt for a silver fleece.

He had seen that very fleece in King Aaliern’s treasure vault.

“What is it?” Cinder asked sleepily as the alpha leaned over him, large hands roaming his body, touching him softly and soothing him. Mordichai had smelled his hair and kissed his ears; scented him again and gently bit his neck. “Did I forget to wash a spot or something?”

Mordichai laughed. “No. I was just… looking. I never took the time to appreciate you, too busy plotting my revenge again you.”

“If you wanted revenge, now would be the time,” Cinder said. “I’m too tired to fight back.”

“I just promised to keep you safe,” Mordichai said with a low chuckle. “And I’m no longer looking for revenge.”

“Just like that?” Cinder asked as he reached out, placing his palms on the demon’s chest and caressing the muscle there. Mordichai had massive pecs and Cinder really did want to lick and bite them, but right now he was too tired to even lift his head. Whatever scent the demon was giving off was acting like a sedative and he was finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

“Go to sleep, Cinder,” Mordichai whispered as he maneuvered Cinder onto his side and spooned up behind him.

Cinder had never felt safer. He pressed back against the demon’s long body and sighed constantly when strong arms wrapped around him and Mordichai kissed his neck. He closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by the deep purr rumbling in the alpha’s chest behind him.


	7. The Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't realized I haven't updated this since fucking April. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I'd posted a chapter but... time has no meaning in 2020. I'm sorry this is taking me so long, but I hope you're enjoying the short-stories and drabbles that I've been sharing in the meantime. I hope hope hope it doesn't take me six months to post another chapter >.< Wow, fuck.

“What are you doing?”

Mordichai had woken to an empty bed, and had followed the vampire’s scent through the house. It appeared that while he slept the vampire had explored his entire home, and had even found his way into his treasure room that he had warded against intruders. He wasn’t even going to question how Cinder got inside.

But now the vampire was sitting at the bar, papers everywhere, and wearing the same shirt from last night only now he was wearing Mordichai’s boxers as well.

“I’m working on a timeline,” Cinder explained. He had been awake for about four hours, and finally felt rejuvenated. He could go for some blood, but he would make food work.

Even if he had had a rather intense dream involving biting Mordichai’s inner thigh.

Mordichai leaned over his shoulder to look. Cinder smelled good, better than he had ever noticed before, and it took him a moment to realize it was because the vampire’s scent of jasmine was mixed heavily with his own. He had to resist rubbing his face into his neck and focus on the chaos of papers in front of him.

“And?” Mordichai asked.

The demon’s heavy scent was settling around him, and his breath was warm on his bare neck and shoulder. He must have brushed his teeth because his breath was clean and minty. The demon’s wings had opened and were on either side of them, again acting like a shield. Cinder has closed all the curtains to keep out the daylight, but somehow this small gesture made me feel even more safe.

He resisted the urge to shudder and started to explain what he thought was the timeline. Adam, or whoever he was working with, had hired the Wanderers to bring a scroll to a pair of thieves to break into the vault. Then, after that was done, Adam (or whoever he was working with,) had gone to retrieve the Winter Crown and killed the witnesses. Then he had met the Wanderers in The Vale, probably purposely meeting near the territory of an alpha Inferno demon just so what ended up happening, did happen. Cinder seriously doubted that Adam (or whoever wore that royal circlet) would have allowed the Wanderers to just go free. But some had escaped the attack, and as expected, had told what had happened when threatened. But Adam (or whoever) hadn’t actually gone on pursuit of the survivors. 

Because they couldn’t find them?

Or because they simply didn’t care? Not many fey took the word of Wonderers seriously. They ripped out their own wings on purpose for fuck’s sake.

Cinder couldn’t imagine a life not being able to trace to safety, or just an awkward situation.

Mordichai exhaled and bowed his head, resting his forehead on Cinder’s bare shoulder. “This is a mess.”

“It is but I think we’re closer than we know,” he agreed. 

“So do you have any suspects?”

“No really. Maybe one of my brothers? But… I just can’t see them going this far to screw father over.”

“A sister?” He asked.

Cinder growled. “No. And if it was one of them, they would have included me in this, and not tried to kill me.” Melancholia and Cierce would never do this. And they had summoned Mordichai to save him! No, absolutely not.

“Hm,” Mordichai hummed. He couldn’t resist kissing the vampire’s shoulder before he straightened up. He walked around through the kitchen to the refrigerator and folded his wings as he pulled out a glass bottle of orange juice.

Cinder rested his chin in his palm after he shuffled the papers together. “I need to talk to my sisters.”

“You can’t go back.”

“Do you have a scrying mirror?”

Mordichai sighed. “You really won’t let this go?”

“You know I can’t.”

While Mordichai went to dig out a mirror, Cinder cleaned up his paper mess and put his plate and empty coffee mug in the sink to wash later. He went to sit in front of the fireplace when the Shadow demon returned, brushing the dust off an old mirror.

“It has a little crack but I don’t think it will cause too many problems,” Mordichai said as he handed it to the vampire.

It was a very ornate handheld mirror. It was adorned in gold and missing a couple rubies, with a small crack in the corner. He blew the remaining dust off it before saying, “It’ll work.” Like cell phones, scrying mirrors were affected by the state they were in, and the magic around them. Using a cracked mirror would be like talking on a phone in the middle of the woods with a bad signal. If he could even get it to work... He said a silent prayer before he started.

But when he chanted the spell, nothing happened.

Cinder growled in irritation. “Why aren’t they answering?”

“Maybe they’re busy,” Mordichai offered. “I’m sure the place must be in chaos. Or maybe they’re being watched.”

“What if they’re dead?” 

“They aren’t,” Mordichai said with certainty. “I saw your sisters. An army would be needed to fall them.”

A smile tugged at his mouth. “You don’t know how right you are.”

Mordichai took the mirror from the vampire, who frowned at him in confusion. “I need to keep trying.”

“You need to unwind,” Mordichai said.

“Mm, we tried that last night, remember?”

“What if I promise to not kill the mood this time?”

Cinder considered it, before he snatched the mirror away. “This is more important.”

Mordichai couldn’t argue, and be settled down on the couch, watching as Cinder’s face grew increasingly worried. He cared for his siblings, and they obviously cared for him. 

Closing his eyes, Cinder whispered the short spell under his breath once again, and then waited. He was starting to worry that the spell hadn’t worked, or worse there was no one alive to answer it, when the mirror rippled and his sister’s face appeared.

A look of relief passed between the two.

“Are you okay—?” Asked at the same time.

The background behind Cierce blurred as she lifted up and settled in the rafters for privacy. “Cinder,” she sighed. “That demon saved you?”

Yes, again. He resisted looking over to the large demon who was sitting nearby. “Are you okay? And Mel? What the fuck happened, Cierce?”

The Fey’s wings buzzed behind her. “I honestly don’t know. Bram said you attempted to assassinate Father and—“

“Wait,” he interrupted as his heart leaped into his throat, “Bram said what?”

“That you went after father…” she said with a confused frown. For a second her imaged crackled and faded, before solidifying again. 

“Adam… said that I had attacked father and Bram, that they were both in recovery.”

Across the room, Mordichai’s growl started to rumble.

Cierce shook her head. “Cinder, Adam has been dead for months. There was an attempted raid on the eastern watchtower and he was killed. Father hasn’t been seen in a week, and Bram is fine.”

Cinder was glad he was sitting down. “Cierce, Bram is the one who stole the Winter Crown.”

Her eyes glowed and narrowed. “That’s a big accusation, brother. Do you have proof to back it up?”

“I—“ Cinder stopped and frowned. “I don’t have actual evidence, I just… I have a timeline and. Dammit Cierce, why would he do this! He had to be disguised as Adam. He almost killed me!”

“And now that you’re not dead…”

“What?”

“He labeled you a traitor and put a price on your head.”

Cinder felt cold. “He can’t do that without father’s consent.”

“Father hasn’t been seen,” she said, “so Bram has assumed control. The Winter Crown is missing and the celebration is to start this week. He’s meeting with caterers and security and—“

“Cierce— I understand you don’t want to believe it, but… I have no other explanation!”

“Bram loves his kingdom, why would he try to topple it?”

“But he doesn’t love father.”

“Neither do you,” she pointed out.

Cinder felt his chest clench uncomfortably. “You aren’t suggesting that I…?”

“I wouldn’t have summoned that demon if I thought that,” she pointed out. “I’m at a loss, dear brother. The celebration must go on, or it could mean the end of our family.”

“How is that going to happen without the Crown?”

Cierce looked around. “I don’t know.”

“Can you get out? Grab Mel and leave? Please, sister.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

He did. Just like he knew he would have to go back into that castle. Cierce didn’t believe him that Bram was the cause of all this chaos. And honestly, Cinder didn’t quite believe it either. Why would Bram, who had always been calm and collected, suddenly pull something as fucking insane as stealing the crown, which endangered them all, and then try to set up Cinder and possibly incapacitate father?

“Cin, I have to go,” Cierce said. “I’ll call when I know more.”

He wanted to beg her to wait, but he instead set the mirror down as his reflection appeared. It was quiet for several minutes before he heard Mordichai shift on the couch.

“Now what?”

Cinder exhaled. “I do my job and find the Crown.”

“How exactly are you going to do that?”

“By doing everything I think Bram would have done to make this entire scheme work.”

“So, you think it was your brother?”

“Right now that’s all I have.”

…

Cinder sat looking at the fire. Mordichai had left to do something he had not disclosed, and since he couldn’t leave the demon’s home, he had decided to sit and pour over theories.

Which had made him horribly depressed, so he called Jake. Originally he had wanted to keep the summer Fey out of this, not wanting to stress him out after he had been through so much, but Cinder needed to hear his friend’s voice.

And make some confessions.

“Are you mad at me?” Cinder asked as he watched the flames.

“Why would I be mad?” Jake said. 

“I never meant to keep so much from you,” he confessed. “I wanted to tell you who I was. But I… couldn’t.”

Jake, who was sitting outside one of his many homes with his mate, Rax, leaned back in the sun. His iridescent wings were open to soak in as much light and heat as possible, and he was wearing nothing to avoid tan lines. His skin was tanned, marred only by the faint remains of scars from his traumatic past. 

“I never cared what you were, you know that.”

Cinder did. When he first met Jake they were children. Jake hadn’t been afraid of him, whether it be because he was half-vampire or masquerading as the child of a King's servant, and had immediately reached out to him. They had formed a fast friendship, bonding over all the things children liked, and sharing mutual fears of war and death.

Most unusual things for children, but Jake’s clan had been relocated from their village into a refugee camp and the rumors had been growing about fey disappearing in the night. King Aaliern had gone on a diplomatic visit, despite being of different courts. But him appearing to care more about summer fey than their own made him look good, and the Summer Lords bad.

He did nothing to help them, of course, but at the time Cinder didn’t know this. He just wanted more time with his friend. He went so far to break a very expensive and magical scrying mirror and gave Jake a piece of it. They could talk whenever they wanted, and they had, until the entire clan was wiped out and Jake was gone.

“So, dark fey, huh?” Jake said as he laid back. 

“My father is King Aaliern of the Frozen Lands.”

“Oh, shit! No wonder you are the way you are.”

“Hey,” he whined.

Jake laughed. “I’m joking. But also not. I’m not very familiar with the dark fey world, I just know it’s as fucked up as the summer ones.”

It was true. For all their problems with each other, the courts acted the same way when it came to power struggles.

He went on to explain the theft of the Winter Crown, the attempted assassination, his attempted murder, and his possibly traitorous brother, but it was his mention of Mordichai that really caught Jake’s attention.

“Are you sure you’re safe?” He asked anxiously. “That Shadow demon was ready to kill you that night in the bar. And I thought he would be in Chartres Labyrinth?”

Cinder rubbed his head. “I uh, kind of abducted and tortured him for information.”

“ _Cinder!_ ”

“I—was desperate, okay?” He said defensively, but he knew what he had done had been way too extreme.

Jake rubbed his hand over his face. The fact that Mordichai hadn’t straight up murdered Cinder after that was very telling. Jake knew that his friend thought the alpha was stupid, but he very clearly wasn’t. He had seen that his rival was acting way out of the norm and instead of killing him had investigated.

“So what does he want in exchange for his help?”

“Well, I tried to get him to fuck me and he refused, so who knows what.” Cinder truly did not know. He thought that maybe the alpha was developing feelings for him but…

But _why_.

“He refused?” Jake asked in disbelief.

“I guess I’m not his type.”

Jake hummed. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Pssh, what do you know?”

He knew that Mordichai was inside with Rax right now. The demon had been especially stressed and Jake could tell that Rax was worried. Not wanting to eavesdrop he had gone outside to sunbathe.

Now he kind of wished he hadn't.

…

“You… and Cinder?”

Mordichai grunted.

“You’re risking your life for that little vampire you’ve been trying to kill for years?”

Another grunt.

Rax exhaled and ran his hand over one horn. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

Mordichai looked up with a frown. “No. I’ve got nothing. I just… I want to… I feel like I should help him.”

“Have you mated him?”

Mordichai blushed and glared. “No.”

“Are you going to try?”

“We’ve gotten close,” he admitted. “If you’re wondering if I’ve Chosen him, then no. Not really. I don’t think so.” Now he rubbed his hand over his face. “He’s not the person I thought he was.”

“Is he like an onion? He has layers?”

Mordichai glared at his friend’s humor. “I don’t know what to do.”

Rax took a long drink of the ale he had poured for them both. “I know that Cinder is Jake’s best friend. And clearly you’ve found some attraction with him, but from what you’ve told me, this situation is beyond insane. You’re going to have to decide if this vampire is really worth losing your head. Or, if it all goes to hell, your heart when he loses his head.”

“What would you do?”

“For Jake? I’d do anything. But he is mine, and I am his. You and Cinder… are what? You have feelings, but does he?”

Mordichai swallowed his drink and poured another. He downed that, too. “Don’t know.”

“Seems to me you need to figure that out before you go risking it all,” Rax said.

“That goddamn celebration starts this week!”

“Then figure it out fast.” When Mordichai didn’t answer, only drank more, he asked, “Did you really come here just to ask me that?”

“No. I came to ask you a favor.”

“A turn of the tables,” Rax hummed. “What do you need?”

“I’m going with Cinder to try to find the Crown,” he explained. “He knows where some of his brother’s hide-outs are, and some of his more private business partners. But I need… this is probably going to end badly. When I don’t come back, I want you to take control of my assets.”

“Mordichai—“

“I don’t want just anyone taking control of what I have,” he said with a growl. “I’d rather it be you than anyone else. I left the required documents in the office of my home. You know the one. And where.”

Rax shook his head. “Do you really believe that you’re not coming back?” 

“Nothing is certain,” Mordichai said. “I just know this is going to be dangerous. I thought getting my affairs in order would take some of the pressure off me.”

“Did it?”

“Not really, no.”

“You know why, don’t you?”

He had a pretty good idea. “If this ends well, I’ll let you know. And if not…”

…

Cinder decided to start simple. Maybe too simple. Mordichai didn’t think going to the tree they used as a play fort as kids was important, but Cinder argued otherwise.

He took Mordichai’s hand and traced him to the secret location in The Frozen Lands, hidden deep in the brittle forest that covered the hills outside the castle walls. 

“You haven’t been here since your childhood,” Mordichai said as he folded his wings back. The trees were long petrified and dead, their trunks covered in fossilized black bark and their leafless branches twisted towards the sky. In front of them was a particularly large tree, appearing completely normal upon first glance, but upon approach he saw fey words carved into the bark, and a door. The hollow tree was at least twenty feet in diameter, and was curved in appearance unlike the straight trees around them.

“No,” Cinder agreed as he stared at the tree. Memories flashed to him. The eldest of them, Reyes, had found this tree on a hunt. Bram had been with him, and declared it his royal fortress. Afterwards the rest of them had followed him, and together they had made it into their own little sanctuary.

Cinder had come here a lot. That is, until the King had whipped them both for Cinder’s mistakes. Then Bram had slammed the door in his face and ended any kind feelings between them.

Cinder knew his brother disliked him, but what he had been doing… If Bram really had impersonated Adam to _kill him_ , and now labeled him a traitor…

_Gods, what else could I have done to make him hate me so godsdamn much?_

“Cinder?” Mordichai asked cautiously.

He approached the door, the demon behind him. A frown crossed his face when he saw that the cobwebs had been disturbed and there were fresh marks in the soil. Cinder crouched, and as he did, he heard it.

_Clink._

His vampire hearing just barely registered the sound before the ground rumbled and something was fired from a mechanism hidden just behind them. Cinder heard the impact, iron cutting through flesh and bone, and he felt something hot and wet spray his back.


	8. The Bond

“Mordichai!”

Cinder’s scream echoed around them as he whirled around to the fallen Shadow demon. The iron spear had penetrated straight through the demon’s chest, but had gotten stuck before it could exit. The demon lay unconscious on the ground, blood covering him, pouring from his open mouth; it was on Cinder and the trees and the ground.

_Clink._

Lunging, he grabbed the demon, sinking in his claws, and traced them just as the second spear launched. It narrowly missed Cinder as they disappeared in shadow and darkness.

Cinder didn’t have time to wonder why his panicked brain had chosen this location for safety, he had a bigger problem to focus on.

Iron wouldn’t kill the demon, but bleeding out absolutely could. Beheading was the best and most efficient way to kill any immortal (and mortal, honestly) but they could die from bad enough injuries, certain poisons, and even infection brought on by certain wounds. Not familiar with a Shadow demon’s weakness and healing abilities, Cinder did know that the spear had to come out.

The problem was, when he grabbed it, he immediately jumped back with a yelp, cradling his burned fingers to his chest.

“Oh, fuck no.” He looked around for anything that he puked wrap his hands in, but being unfamiliar with the place, he had to settle with grabbing a blanket off the bed. He wrapped his hands and went back to where Mordichai lay.

The demon was paling, his color dull and his breathing gurgling and weak. Cinder blinked back tears before he grasp the spear and yanked.

The spear slid out with a sickening gush and scraping bone.

The iron burned through the sheet and Cinder tossed it away with an angry hiss. 

“Bram, you fucking dick, I’m going to strangle you—“ he muttered as he cradled his hands close. Even knowing that his brother may have done all this, and had tried to kill him, Cinder still couldn’t bring himself to even entertain the idea of killing the fey prince. 

Strangle, torture, even lock away for a millennia? Sure.

His hands were shaking and his fingers black, but he didn’t have time to tend them. As much as it hurt, he had to get Mordichai stabilized first. The demon was still bleeding, and his breathing went shallow.

One of his vampiric gifts was always being able to hear another creature's heart beat, and the alpha’s was slow.

“Don’t you—dare give up,” he hissed, his voice heavy with desperation. The panic he felt was new. He couldn’t lose Mordichai. The thought gave him so much pain.

Grabbing another blanket he set about stopping the bleeding. He wanted to trace home and get a first-aid kit, but there was no promise that was safe. As he attempted to stop the bleeding, he looked around. There had to be a med-kit somewhere.

…

Mordichai opened crusty eyes and found himself staring at a familiar ceiling. Around him were familiar scents and sounds; the desert heat quaffed by the cave’s enchantment, the water and hot springs below, and the ever present sound of wind. He frowned and raised his hand to rub his eyes, which caused pain across his chest and back.

“Oh fuck—“ he grumbled. He looked down and saw a pile of padding and gauze covering his chest. Part of the discomfort in his back may have been more padding.

_That’s right… I was skewered like a shishkabob._ He closed his eyes and swallowed a groan of pain.

Then he was sitting upright, causing bright lights to flash behind his eyes and spots to float around his head, but he fought the dizziness as his red eyes swept through the cave.

There he was! Curled up near the hearth on the ground, with a blanket.

Cinder was alive. He looked to not be injured, but he couldn’t see much of the halfbreed. 

He saw dirty scraps of bedding in the ground nearby, along with a massive, drying pool of blood.

By the smell, it was his own.

As he lay back down he had to wonder why Cinder had traced them to his cave in the desert.

Maybe because no one knew about it? It was safe.

He wanted to move Cinder to the bed with him, but he couldn’t hardly move. He was healing, he could feel it, but whatever had hit him had been brutal. Had that hit the smaller immortal?

Mordichai felt a new tightness in his chest as he reminded himself that Cinder was fine.

Also, he seemed to be right about his brother, because that booby-trap had been a little overkill to just protect a childhood hide-out. Whoever had left it had known someone would come snooping around, and if it wasn’t Cinder then it would have been one of his siblings.

Mordichai closed his eyes. He wanted to hate the vampire, but Cinder had given him ample opportunity to leave. He had even tried forcing him to leave. Mordichai could only blame himself for his current predicament.

But he would do it again in a minute.

Some hours later, Mordichai watched as Cinder woke and sat up with a yawn. His red eyes glowed as they zeroed in on the burns on his hands.

The halfbreed sat up straight when their eyes met. “You’re awake?” He asked in disbelief.

“What happened to your hands?” He asked instead.

“The spear that hit you was pure iron,” he said as he stood up and approached the demon. Mordichai’s color was returning and Cinder couldn’t smell any infection. “You’re healing fast.”

“Shadow demons do,” he said as he reached out to touch the vampire’s wrist, just above his injury. “Why aren’t you?”

Cinder shrugged. “I will. Worry about yourself.”

Mordichai growled. “Do you need blood?”

“Hey, if you’re scared I’m going to go off and bite you, then relax. I’ll go out after dark and hunt for something,” he explained as he took a step back. Wounded alpha demons could be dangerous, especially around someone they didn’t trust. Mordichai might perceive him as a threat when he normally wouldn’t and attack him.

But Mordichai didn’t attack. He gently gripped the vampire’s wrist and tugged him back, forcing him into the bed. “You will not,” he growled. “Take mine.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“My blood will heal you faster. Other blood is worthless.” 

“You need all of that to heal,” Cinder reminded him as he knelt on the bed next to the alpha.

“No. Take it.”

Cinder felt his mouth water. He would never forget how Mordichai had tasted. And he had to admit, the demon’s blood was strong and he wouldn’t need much…

“A little,” he finally agreed.

“As much as you need.”

Cinder blushed at the alpha’s insistence. “A little,” he said again, softer. Unable to grip the demon’s wrist without pain, he instead leaned over him and kissed his neck. “Here?”

“Anywhere.”

Was his voice deeper and husky? Cinder had to be imagining. He still had a shiver tickle down his spine though.

He kissed the demon’s neck, sucking over where the largest vein would be, until the skin was wet and flushed. Then he bit, carefully to avoid pain—

It was hard to say who moaned the loudest.

Cinder gulped mouthfuls of blood, the hot magic rushing through him and healing him. He felt hands on his hips, claws gripping him tight, and could hear a rumbling from beneath him. 

He could have stayed there and drank the demon dry, but he didn’t want to hurt Mordichai. He didn’t want the damn demon dead.

He was confused when he leaned back, because he was straddling the alpha, and he knew he hadn’t been before.

Also, the demon was very, very aroused.

Cinder flexed his healed fingers as he stared into Mordichai’s red eyes. He was going to thank him, move off him, maybe check his wounds, but instead he found himself reaching back on the demon’s waistband.

Mordichai watched hungrily as Cinder first ditched his own clothing and then focused his attention on pulling down Mordichai’s pants.

Cinder let out a surprised giggle. Mordichai’s cock wasn’t the biggest he had seen, but it was certainly unique. The thick length was gray in color with a large head. But the underside was a light purple and ridged. It looked like the perfect sex toy and Cinder wanted to ride it.

He let out a little groan. “I’m going to ride you, Mordichai.”

Panting, Mordichai replied, “Do whatever you want, gorgeous.”

Cinder wasn’t an omega, he couldn’t produce slick, which meant he would need a little prep. “Do you have any lube around here?” He asked.

“In the bathroom cabinet.”

Having been in there earlier, and feeling pretty rejuvenated after feeding, Cinder traced to the bathroom and found the bottle. He prepped himself there, to save time, and then made sure he didn’t have any blood on his mouth and then brushed his hair.

He traced back, straddling the demon as he was before.

Mordichai’s eyes swept over him. “I hope you don’t mind if I just watch?”

Cinder grinned. “Baby, that’s all you need to do. I’ll take care of the rest.”

The fact that Mordichai’s response was a pleased purr said a lot. Most of his experience with alphas was in his knees or back, with the alpha in complete control. Most would have ripped their stitches open just to fuck him the way they saw fit. Mordichai being so relaxed, and willing to give over the control, was very different.

Cinder straddled the demon and, leaning up high on his knees and pacing his hands on his ass to spread himself. He heard Mordichai groan, and locked eyes with him.

The plan had been to maintain eye contact, but the moment he started to take in the demon’s cock he closed his eyes and moaned.

As expected, Mordichai’s cock felt fucking fantastic. And the ridges were firm, but not uncomfortably hard. Cinder moaned louder, shamelessly, and said, “Gods you feel amazing!”

Groaning, Mordichai replied, “You’re so fucking tight and hot.”

He was hot. Mordichai’s blood and magic had recharged him in an amazing way. “Hnn—“ Cinder pushed all the way down until seated. Then he leaned forward, breathing loudly through his mouth.

Unable to sit up, Mordichai pressed his thumb against the vampire’s mouth. “Cinder.”

Cinder kissed his thumb before he straightened up. He threw his head back and began to ride. He wasn’t as wet as he should have been, so there was some burn, but the friction was incredible.

Mordichai watched as the beautiful halfbreed rode him. Cinder felt incredible, he looked stunning, and his scent was delicious. He watched the flex of his muscles in his stomach and legs, and the way his black and blonde hair swayed behind him. Even though Cinder hadn’t drank much of his blood it had been enough to pinken his skin and paint blush on his cheeks and neck.

“Beautiful,” he sighed as Cinder’s ass squeezed him. “Fucking beautiful…”

Cinder replied with a moan. Mordichai’s large hands settled on his hips, his claws pressed against his skin, and he ever-so-slightly moved his hips up to meet Cinder. He had to be careful to not move too much, he don’t want to grow too tired too soon, or rip all his stitches.

Cinder stretched across Mordichai, hands on the bed to brace himself, and pressed his forehead against the demon’s. They moved together slowly, Cinder rocking back just enough to meet Mordichai’s thrusts. Sweat covered them; it dropped off Cinder’s nose and caused his long hair to stick to his back. He was breathing heavily through his mouth, moans of pleasure occasionally filling the cave.

He opened his sea green eyes, and paused. Mordichai was looking up at him, eyes black with passion, and face just as flushed as his own. Cinder tipped his head down just enough to brush their noses together, then, unable to resist the alpha’s tempting lips, kissed him.

It wasn’t like previous kisses. It was as slow and gentle as their love-making, and it awakened something inside Mordichai.

He moved one hand from the halfbreed’s slender waist and pet his fingers through Cinder’s long hair. The smell of jasmine and sex was heavy. But he adored it. He had never smelled anything so perfect in his life.

“ _Aaah_ …” Cinder groaned when the hand that had been stroking his hair was between his legs and stroking his cock. The added stimulation made his hips hitch and he started to rock back and forth harder.

“That’s it, Cinder,” Mordichai praised was he slowly pumped his hand. “Ride me harder. I’ll fill you up.”

Cinder straightened up, moaning, as the demon’s other hand stroked his chest and pinched one nipple. “Fuck!”

Mordichai groaned as his balls tightened and his cock twitched. Engulfed in the perfect sheath, he came with a heavy moan. Cinder continued to rock up and down, milking the demon’s cock, before Mordichai squeezed him hard and he came with a gasp and a cry. Cum covered Mordichai’s hand and some landed on his chest. He watched as Cinder moaned and gasped, his body shaking in pure bliss.

“Good boy,” Mordichai rumbled sleepily. He hadn’t moved much, but it was enough exertion to exhaust him. He wiped his hand clean before he stroked his hands up and down the vampire’s trembling sides. As Cinder relaxed, Mordichai coaxed him into his arms.

Cinder was still shaking, his orgasm had hit him harder than expected and his ass was sore and full. It felt great. He felt great. He listened as Mordichai fell asleep, and decided to not get up and bathe. They could do that later, together.

…

Cinder stood outside the tree fort. There was a spear lodged in the broken door, and dried blood covered in buzzing flies all over the forest floor. The trees had soaked up any blood that had sprayed on them, and had seemed to have grown.

But that was impossible. Old tales told that once these trees had moved at will, and had covered the entirety of The Frozen Lands. But when King Aaliern’s great-great grandfather had laid claim here, he had led a massive army to defeat the gnarled, blood-hungry trees. The King has lost one leg and wing in battle, but he had ruled over the land for a thousand years until overthrown. His own son had unceremoniously buried him in an unmarked grave deep in the forest, legend told of the massive, ugly tree that had grown from the grave. It was dead and twisted, with bark as sharp as glass and twigs like needles.

Was it true? Or was it just a story to scare little fey children before bed? 

Cinder snarled at the bloodthirsty, buzzing flies as he stepped around the area of the attack. 

He listened for any sounds of booby-traps, and he did hear something, but it wasn’t a trap.

“Imagine my disappointment when I smelled that it wasn’t your blood.”

Cinder felt an uncomfortable prickle up his spine. He walked around to the other side of the tree where Adam stood.

No, it wasn’t Adam. 

“I know it’s you,” Cinder said. He looked the fey captain over. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he realized how stupid he was. Adam had had green eyes, but this fey’s were dark, nearly black. His smell was also off, too much magic being poured into the glamour.

The face of Adam sneered before the spell fell away.

“Hello, bastard.”

Cinder stood looking at his brother. Bram wore a royal circlet and his light armor. Behind him his dark wings glittered in the shadows of the trees. 

Anger started to boil inside of him, and his eyes glowed white. “ _Why?_ ” He snarled.

Bram cocked his head. “Why what? Overthrow father? You know as well I do that that was inevitable.”

“I don’t give a flying fuck about father. Why did you try to kill me!? Why did you torture me? Why set all this up here,” he continued as he opened his arms, “just for me?”

Bram’s eyes glowed dangerously. “Because of what you did to me.”

“I… I never asked father to punish you,” Cinder said. “I begged him not to—“

“Not that. It’s not just that!” Bram shouted, losing his composure.

“Then what!?” He shouted back.

“Your _mother_ —“ the prince’s eyes glowed with a hatred Cinder had never seen before. It was no secret that King Aaliern had had an affair with Cinder’s mother (and probably dozens of others) while married to Queen Radiant. Cinder’s mother had been executed shortly after the death of the Queen. 

Cinder, and the kingdom, had been told she had died of a broken heart when she learned of the king’s infidelity. But Cinder had always found that strange. The Queen had known her future husband was a pig before marriage. 

She also hadn’t been the first queen to die mysteriously. But she was the last. King Aaliern had been single since then.

“What about her?” He demanded.

Bram seemingly gave himself a shake, and straightened up. “You’ll see.”

“See what?” Cinder yelled as the prince traced away.

Cinder snarled, and was so angry he was shaking. He knew he should look around more, but that wasn’t what he needed right now. 

He traced back to the cave, and found Mordichai awake and waiting for him.

They locked eyes, and any anger the Shadow demon may have been feeling disappeared when he sensed Cinder’s emotional state.

He opened his wings. “What happened?”

Cinder, shaking his head, walked over and crawled into the alpha’s lap. Arms and wings closed around him, and he felt safe. “I went back to the tree.”

Mordichai grunted, expecting as much. He hadn’t liked waking up alone, and would have traced there also but he had to let Cinder do what he wanted. He didn’t own him, they weren’t bonded, and this wasn’t his family dilemma.

“What did you find out?” He asked.

“Bram was there, waiting for me,” he said. “He was so angry. I’ve never seen him so angry. And he… he said something about my mother. I barely knew her, Bram certainly did not know her. And I have no idea how it ties in with the Crown.”

“Did you ask him about it?”

“The conversation veered off really quick. He did all but admit that he killed Father. It’s surprising, but it shouldn’t be. Children overthrowing their fathers for the kingdom happens so often it’s almost cliche.”

Cinder had nestled his face into Mordichai’s neck, and while he was still tense, his scent was at least starting to mellow. Mordichai rubbed his back. “What else happened?”

“That’s about it.”

“Do you have any new theories?”

Thoughts were spinning around in his brain. He was going to assume Bram had the crown. He had elaborately schemed to make it look like someone else had committed the act. Did he know that the king would hire Cinder to find it? Or… had his plot against him developed later?

“I don’t think I was originally a target,” he finally said.

“What makes you say that?”

“There are too many puzzle pieces that would need to fit together first for this to work out how he wanted,” he said. 

Mordichai rumbled with uncertainty. “What now?”

“We keep looking.”

Mordichai, having healed from his wounds, said, “Maybe we can avoid places with spears.”

“Hopefully that’s all we come across.” He exhaled heavily before adding, “We have to go back to the castle. The celebration is probably already starting, so the Crown has to be there.”

“If Bram has it, then why find it? He’ll present it to the Winter King and all will be well. Wait until all this has passed and then go after your brother.”

“If Father is dead, and Bram takes his place, the Winter King will make him lord over the land. Then it’ll be impossible to get to him. No, I need to go after him now.”

Mordichai didn’t want to talk about it. He hated everything that was going on. He wanted to take Cinder away, and keep him safe and full of as much blood as he wanted. 

Which was incredibly strange. He hadn’t bonded with Cinder. They had had sex just once, and while it had been great, there had been no biting or imprinting.

He rubbed his head. “So where are we going next?”

“Back into the castle.”

…

“It’s not possible,” Mordichai vehemently argued, “to completely give yourself with Glamour to Otherkin. It’s just not possible to conceal every part of yourself for any extended period of time.”

“Jake did it for years,” Cinder countered back. “Rax didn’t know what he was until he tasted his blood. And he’d been unable to track him until Jake allowed it.”

“Yes, and it took every ounce of magic he had and wore him down to almost nothing,” Mordichai reminded him.

“It won’t be for twenty years. Just a couple of days.”

“This is fucking crazy!”

Cinder growled and whipped around to the demon standing behind him. “Then go. I don’t need your help for this. In fact, why are you even here?”

Mordichai growled back. “This is my home. I’m not leaving.”

“I’m going to do this, Mordichai. Whether you like it or not. So why don’t I just leave and--”

Cinder’s words were lost, because as he turned to storm away, the demon caught his arm and jerked him back. He collided with the demon’s wide, rock-hard chest as lips crushed against his own. He moaned as the Shadow demon growled, kissing him until he was breathless and his knees were giving out. 

“You’re not going anywhere without me,” Mordichai growled. A possessiveness he’d never felt before rose up inside him in regards to the vampire. He kissed him again and again, he traced them to the bed, pinned the halfbreed down and kissed him even harder. Cinder was moaning.

Cinder nipped at the demon’s lower lip and tasted blood. Hot and rich. “You’re willing to go there with me?” he asked between demanding kisses.

Mordichai’s wings opened and darkness closed around them. His red eyes blazed. “Yes.”

Cinder moaned again, wrapping his legs around the demon that was grinding between his legs. He bit his neck. “Good.” Because in order to keep up the facade he was planning, he was going to need the richest blood he could find, and that would be Mordichai’s. “I can’t do this without you.”

The alpha kissed up his neck. “I think it’s stupid, but I won’t leave you. We’ll figure it out.”

“God, you’re so stupid,” Cinder sighed as the demon kissed down his body, removing his clothing as he went.

Mordichai laughed as he pulled off Cinder’s pants. “I guess I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling it's going to be a long time until the next update because I have been really dead creatively, and worse, I can't seem to care that I can't write or draw or paint soooo. But it's been a horrible year so, I guess I can blame that. Anyway. Thanks for all the comments, as always. I know I don't always get back to you right away but know that sometimes they're the only thing that inspires me to try to write. Stay healthy and safe, wear a mask. xoxo


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